


haven't thought this through (i'll change the title later)

by gentlywithchainsaw



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Death, Faked Suicide, Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sane Tom Riddle, Tom-centric, narcissa is so done, spoiler its ginny, well saner
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-14
Updated: 2018-12-31
Packaged: 2019-01-17 07:15:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12360399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gentlywithchainsaw/pseuds/gentlywithchainsaw
Summary: When a situation becomes unnecessarily complicated the body automatically enters a fight or flight mind-set.However, after exhausting the first option, what do you do when you have nowhere to flee to? The same thoughts endlessly looped through his mind as he stared at the still body on the floor.ora second year au in which Harry and Ron hadn't found the chamber of secrets in time.





	1. so it starts

**Author's Note:**

> wow I'm really nervous it's my first fic ever!!  
> also English is not my first language so any help will be appreciated :)  
> enjoy  
> oh and all Harry Potter characters belong to J.K Rowling and not me.

##### Prologue

When a situation becomes unnecessarily complicated the body automatically enters a fight or flight mind-set.  
However, after exhausting the first option, what do you do when you have nowhere to _flee_ to? The same thoughts endlessly looped through his mind as he stared at the still body on the floor. 

The girl's pale skin contrasted sharply against the dark floor and her ginger hair made her appear to be burning.  
All in all, the image was entirely surreal.  
Like a scene from a fairy tale, she laid on the cold dungeon floor as though a princess waiting to be rescued from the evil warlock. 

Or she would have been if the bloody hero **ACTUALLY. BOTHERED. TO. SHOW. UP**. He huffed in frustration. Whatever happened to heroic courtesy?  
And he had been really looking forward to finally meeting the infamous boy wonder too.  
Still,he had to admit that the day wasn't completely wasted, he had achieved his initial goal.

Acquiring a tangible body only out of life force and magic was nothing to scoff at, surely.  
And yet, ever since he heard about his supposed rival-the so called saviour of the Wizarding world, he couldn't help but feeling a burning desire to meet him.  
That feeling only intensified when he talked to (well, was written on-he did start as a diary) the wiz kid himself.

He hadn't planned on talking to the boy. He couldn't believe his luck when instead of the usual ramblings of a love-struck pre-pubescent girl, the (Godawful really) writing of the chosen one appeared on his pages.  
And just like that his carefully thought out plans changed over night.  
No longer did he care about ridding the school from mudbloods or slowly gaining enough life force until he no longer needed a host to possess. 

Oh no, from now on it was all about the boy who lived-the famous Harry Potter.  
The only being in known history who got hit with a killing curse and survived. 

Even worse, the boy managed to not only live when he was not supposed to but to also vanquish the most powerful dark Lord-Lord Voldemort.( at least since Grindelwald, incredibly talented, incredibly strong, incredibly wasted potential).

No one knew how exactly the dark Lord was defeated, some speculate a powerful offensive magic or maybe some form of magical defence?  
Either way, seeing as he was (is? Will be?) the dark Lord, he felt justifiably invested in finding out how.  
However his hasty actions - forcing his vessel to kidnap herself in order to lure Potter, didn't really pay off.  
Potter didn't _show_. 

And now he was left alone standing in a disgusting dungeon with a corpse.  
And a ten foot giant killer snake.  
Bullocks. 

The snake wasn't a problem (seeing as he was a parselmouth - a person with the ability to speak and control snakes), and neither was the corpse really, the girl, his vessel was meant to die anyway. 

The problem laid in his next action. Which he hadn't came up with yet.  
The obvious choice would be to leave Hogwarts, a Wizarding school, in which he is currently located. 

The school's headmaster, Albus Dumbledore has long since suspected him.  
Ever since Dumbledore first met him in the orphanage and introduced magic to him, the headmaster (back then just a teacher) was constantly keeping an eye out on him.  
All things considered Dumbledore wasn't exactly _wrong_ in his suspicions, still practically stalking an underaged child was pushing past justifiable concern and into a creepy obsession. 

So getting out of Hogwarts was definitely a must. The act of sneaking out is relatively easy.  
All he had to do was to cast a minor glamor, even without a proper wand (all he had was the vessel's wand and in her place, he would've asked for a refund- was it a magical instrument or a muggle twig?) this would be incredibly simple. 

The hardship is to decide where to go next.  
Being an orphan he didn't have a lot of options, even in his own time, much less in the future where apparently he ended up as an evil overlord and _**died**_. 

~~He supposed there was always his father’s Manor.~~ No he couldn’t stay there and suffer the knowledge that his dirty muggle family lived there. 

That leaves only one more option. He sighed, wedged a small black diary (where he previously resided in) out of the girl’s clutched hands and ordered the snake to stay inside the chamber.  
It’s time to meet his current (future?) followers.


	2. First encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meeting Lucius Malfoy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow took me long enough, hopefully next time I'll post sooner.  
> Enjoy!

##### Chapter 1

As a child, Tom Marvolo Riddle used to dream of being adopted by the perfect family. 

A beautiful and kind mother and a strong, caring father who would love him and raise him as though he was their own. 

Those dreams obviously shattered irreversibly, however before that happened he would’ve envision his perfect tiny family living in a grand house. 

A house full of rooms and corridors and lots of history behind the walls.  
The house he was currently standing in front of was everything he had ever fantasied of and much, _much more_. 

It was a giant four story stone Manor with walls coated white and beautiful statues and arches were tastefully scattered in front of the building. 

Surrounding the Manor were seemingly endless gardens, stretching further then the eye could see. 

He'd bet Dumbledore's right hand that at least in one of those garden, a quidditch pitch was located (quidditch was an incredibly ridiculous Wizarding game played on brooms and involves catching and hitting flying balls). 

The whole estate was owned by the Malfoys - a pureblood Wizarding family, very rich, very powerful. 

According to his previous host, Ginny, the Malfoys consisted of:  
Lucius Malfoy , the head of the family, does something or other at the ministry of magic and is apparently an elitist prick ("just don't tell anyone I know that word"). 

Narcissa Malfoy née Black (also a rich and pureblooded family), she dyes her hair blond? 

And their son Draco Malfoy, a snobbish blond kid who is constantly mean to "poor Harry" and - as she eloquently put it-thinks that muggles suck, apparently (suck what exactly? he has no idea and quite frankly doesn't want to know).

Tom stood at the edge of the property, outside of an enormous gate just where the wards ended. He knew that as soon as he steps over the wards, he'll be identified as an intruder and delt with as one. Preferring a less tedious passage inside and the safety of not being hexed to Kingdom come, he elected to simply nudge the wards gently with his magic.

Suddenly the atmosphere changed, became intense and there was a vague scent of ozone in the air. Tom tensed up, had he overdone it? Poured too much magic into the wards and accidentally activated the countermeasures? 

But as quickly as it started, it was over - no tension in the air -no crackling magic. He waited impatiently until a loud crack was heard and in front of him appeared a tiny creature.

It had large pointy ears and green eyes the size of tennis balls. All It wore was a dirty rag that Tom wouldn't come close to with a ten foot broomstick. 

It was a house elf - a sort of magical slave. Tom knew them, he had briefly seen some of them at Hogwarts doing chores, but he had never actually talked to one before. He stared at the creature oddly fascinated, this tiny being had an abundance of magic yet chose to serve out of its own free will. Incomprehensible. 

The elf bowed, his large nose almost reaching the ground. "Master sent Dobby to see what sir trespasser wants", it squeaked. 

Tom raised an eyebrow. He would hardly call this trespassing. He made sure to stand outside of the huge gate. "I have something of importance to discuss with your master", he addressed the elf, "Lead me to him".

"Dobby can't, sir, master is very busy if it's not urgent he doesn't want visitors, sir"

"Let him know that I wish to speak to him, at the very least", Tom plastered the fakest smile he could across his face.  
The house-elf fidgeted.  
"Tell him it's Tom Riddle, and that I believe I have found his lost diary",Tom added, "I believe it is very important to him?". 

"Y-yes, sir", the creature squealed and disappeared in a loud crack. Tom rolled his eyes, daft being, why must his patience be tested? 

He gritted his teeth, sometimes he really grew to resent the purebloods' power-play. Apperating to Lucius whereabouts and informing him of Tom's arrival shouldn't take that long. 

And yet he couldn't fault Malfoy for his suspicion. Had he been in Lucius place, he too would've just ignored the pitiful teenager outside his mansion. Not that _he_ was in anyway pitiful. HE is (was?) the greatest wizard in centuries, evil maybe, but definitely great (Dumbledore doesn't count, never mind what everyone says, he is a senile old coot). 

Another couple of slow and agonizing minutes have passed before the house-elf returned. "Dobby will show you in now, sir", the elf, Dobby?, announced before snapping his fingers and apparating to the front door of the mansion. 

The enormous gate slid open silently, allowing Tom to step into the property. He paused and glared at the elf, he could've easily apparated Tom to the mansion. Instead Tom now has to make his way across a ridiculously long pathway to the building.  
More power play. _Figures_. 

After a long track and a few half baked torture fantasies, he finally reached the front door. 

As soon he reached the door, Dobby snapped his fingers and, just like the gate, the door opened. 

Entering the threshold, Tom almost had to physically restrain himself from gaping. Living in a low budget orphanage (even more so once the second great war started) guaranteed he had never seen anything like it.

Everything inside radiated wealth and fortune, even more than the exterior. From the lavish carpets to the probably solid gold painting frames. 

It reminded Tom of the pictures of Buckingham palace,and various other castles, he had seen in the books he found (The book collection in the orphanage was abysmal at best, so he had to make do with abandoned travel guides or stolen books.) 

Dobby left him sitting in the drawing-room. A spacious room with a sofa, armchairs, a fireplace and lots of artwork that were probably worth ten times everything Tom had ever owned and more. 

Sitting in the luxurious room, he couldn't help but feel self-conscious (or perhaps he felt this way because of the multiple painting that were staring at him). He was hyper aware of the glamor concealing the black bags under his eyes. How cheap his second hand robes- which he charmed to be his size- looked. And how too thin he was for his age. Nothing about him really screamed proper upbringing. 

Trying to distract himself from this line of thought, he focused on the decor of the room. Scattered throughout the room were a scary amount of snake memorabilia. There were snakes statues on top of the fireplace, embroidered on pillows, drawn on vases. Even the doorknob was crafted in the shape of a snake. Either the Malfoys really prided themselves on being slytherins (the Hogwarts house associated with snakes) or they had an unholy love for snakes.  
Tom figured it was probably one and the same. 

Just as he began to entertain the idea of speaking parseltongue to one of the snake figurines in the hopes something will happen, the door flew open. A tall blond slowly glided into the room (the teen barely resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow). The blond man, who Tom assumed was Lucius Malfoy (the resemblance between him and Abraxas Malfoy was uncanny ), stopped in the middle of the room and leveled his gaze at Tom. 

Lucius Malfoy was a tall pale man with long silvery blond hair and stormy eyes. He wore a gray expensive looking robe which seemed to be hand tailored to him (it was) and was leaning on a walking stick. Although he didn't have a limp nor did he seem to need support. Tom wondered if the walking stick (which had a, surprise surprise, snake for a handle) served a different purpose other than looking sophisticated. 

"You claim to have an important belongings of mine", the aristocrat announced cooly, "And yet I don't recall losing anything".  
This time Tom did raise an eyebrow. "And yet", he mocked the blond, "You've agreed on meeting with me". 

Before Lucius could even manage a single word, Tom cut him off. "Let's forgo the whole charade, you obviously recognized my name", he Leaned back lazily. "Not to mention", he continued, "That we both know you allowed yourself to give this away".  
The boy waved a leather journal. "To a poor eleven year old girl no less", he added satisfied at the way Malfoy seemed to grow paler and paler with each word. 

The man snapped out of his stupor and carefully crafted his face blank before replying. "Who exactly are you supposed to be again?", he scoffed. "The name you gave is obviously an alias"  
Tom narrowed his eyes bemused. This was going nowhere quickly- as ridiculous as it sounded, he had to prove himself to Lucius. He sighed before hissing a string of phrases in parseltounge. 

As soon as he heard the foreign language, the blond's emotionless mask crumbled and fell. He went through multiple emotions- shock, embarrassment, hope, before confusion settled on his face. "H-how?" Tom tilted his head and wave the diary again. "My diary, that you so kindly gave away, had a piece of my memory in it", he said dryly. He watched amused as the blond gradually became more and more distressed.  
Lucius made quite the accurate impression of a fish that got caught on a hook before falling on his knees. 

"M-my lord! Please forgive my transgression!", he begged, "I had no Idea- I didn't know it was a..."  
"Rise Lucius", the teen sighed. "I'm not angry." Tom watched the man scramble to a stand. "If anything I should be thankful", he stood up gracefully, "If you hadn't threw the diary away, I wouldn't have achieved this", Tom gestured at himself. 

"But my lord, I do not understand!",Lucius frowned puzzled. "How could a memory-?", he paused eyes widening with understanding. "You- it's not a pensive is it", it sounded more like a statement than a question. 

The dark haired teen tensed up, his amusement dying out instantly.  
No no no! This isn't what he wanted, he should have known Malfoy would realize what he was. Horocrux is an ancient dark magic only few knew of.  
However, the Malfoy family was practically rooted in dark magic- Lucius knowing about Horocruxes was pretty much a given! 

Tom's mind ran abuzz trying to come up with a suitable answer.  
"You're a Horocrux!", the blond breathed in awe. "It wasn't a memory of you stored in the journal, it was your soul!", he exclaimed.  
The young dark lord leveled the excited man with a cold blank stare but otherwise made no attempt to stop the blond from speaking. Lucius took this as a sign to continue. 

"No, not your soul", he said slowly, bending down so he could be on the same eye level as Tom."You are the soul! Aren't you?", he continued a spark in his eyes, Tom didn't much like (reminded him too much of his former transfiguration teacher), and reached out his hand in an attempt to touch the boy. 

Tom automatically recoiled then righted himself into casual posture. "Your assumptions are amusing. However they're just that- assumptions".  
The blond raised a pale eyebrow and studied the teen in front of him before reaching some sort of conclusion and backing away. "My sincerest apologies, I obviously overstepped my boundaries", he put a hand to his chest and bowed his head slightly as a sign of remorse. He didn't seem particularly apologetic to Tom. 

The dark haired teen was about to mention something among those lines when Lucius cut him off. "How about a tour? Our library is one of the largest in the Wizarding world",the aristocrat offered smugly and turned to the door without waiting for an answer. 

Tom felt a hint of irritation at the blond's attitude, especially since the whole situation went completely out of control. He didn't want to put himself in this position - practically vulnerable in a fortress whose owner knows his weakness.  
However. The Malfoys library does sound tempting.  
All those books.  
All that _knowledge_...  
A quick tour couldn't hurt, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Tom gets invited to stay and meets the youngest Malfoy. Neither is impressed.


	3. Slight bibliophilia

Quick tour? Yeah right.  
Tom felt as though he went through every single one of the rooms in the manor. _Twice_.  
He side-eyed Lucius suspiciously as the blond showed him yet another guestroom.

What exactly was the man trying to achieve by showing him all the dining rooms (there were three- one for family dinners, guests and one for holiday dinners),ridiculous amounts of bathrooms - Tom was sure that even if he used a different loo every day of the week there would still be more to spare- and guest-rooms (see bathrooms). Tom just wanted what he was promised - to see the bloody library. Although, admittedly, the potions lab and the greenhouse were pretty impressive.And, he supposed, the indoor swimming pool was nice too if you liked that sort of thing (Tom wasn't much of a swimmer- he never got to learn).And there _were_ some artifacts on display that the teen would love to get his hand on. But other than that - library!

"Not to rush this delightful...", Tom gestured vaguely towards the room, "But I believe you mentioned something about an impressive library?" Lucius chuckled, "As a politician I've learned that the best should always be saved for last".With those words the blond span around dramatically and walked out of the room, his robes billowing behind him.Tom rolled his eyes at the man unamused. Show off. 

The library was sealed behind two massive wooden doors that managed to look both ancient and new at the same time.As they got closer, the doors magically slide open to reveal a spacious hall.Stacks of shelves filled most of the room (if you could call it a room an entire house could fit in there).A bunch of tables and very comfortable looking armchairs littered the room. Tom practically salivated at the sight of the huge amount of tomes stacked on the shelves. He could live his entire life in here. "Is the library to your liking?", Lucius asked in mock innocence. "It's acceptable.",Tom replied feigning indifference. Lucius smirked, "Very well, maybe you'll find this fascinating". He led the teen through a maze of books before stopping in the far corner of the room. 

The tomes there seemed new and unused, Tom wondered if magic had a hand in it or they simply were new. Before Lucius got a chance to say something he was cut off by a loud crack. The sound was emphasized by the wide space and echoed deafeningly across the room. Tom winced and stepped back - side effect of the bombing, made him more sensitive to loud noises, jumpier. 

In the previously empty space in front of them, now stood a house elf. It was a different one than before, a female with large blue eyes, a very pointy nose and relatively small ears for a house elf.She was wearing the same dirty cloth as Dobby. The elf turned to Lucius and bowed deeply. 

"Master, Daisy has a letter for you", she squeaked holding out a sealed letter. The aristocrat leveled her with a cold stare, "I specifically said not to disturb me". "Sir said it is urgent, master", the elf replied unaffected by he master's scolding.  
Lucius scoffed but accepted the letter. He tapped the paper lightly with the handle of his cane and the seal broke off. 

Tom raised an eyebrow, so the cane was actually a wand?  
Creative.  
Lucius frowned as he read."Really? _Now?_ ", he huffed then pocketed the letter in his robe. "Forgive me, my lord", the blond addressed the teen. "It seems I have some urgent business to take care of",he straightened and wiped off invisible dust specks off his robe."I trust you will be alright on your own?". 

Tom glanced at the shelves than back at the man in front of him."I think I'll manage", he replied dryly. "Good", Lucius nodded, "I should be finished around supper. Will you join us?" Tom was startled by the question, he wasn't expecting to stay, nor to be invited. 

His first instinct was to refuse- dining with the Malfoys wasn't part of the plan. All he wanted was to get what he came for- information about his future self- and leave. Unfortunately with Lucius leaving to conduct business his main source of insight was gone. ~~Also free food was mentioned...~~ He could always leave after supper. 

"I shall", Tom reluctantly accepted then immediately turned his attention to the books.  
"I must take my leave", Lucius made to the door before stopping and indicating at the she-elf. "Daisy will inform you when dinner is served. Have a nice evening, my lord". Tom nodded absentmindedly, completely absorbed in the tomes, and mumbled something that might have been 'oh? yes, you too'. 

As soon as the man and elf left the teen alone, he gravitated toward the near shelf. A sign informed Tom that this shelf showcased history book about the 20th century. Excitement began to built inside him. It couldn't have been, could it? He traced the book-spines before stopping at one, titled - 'The rise and fall of dark lords in the 20th century'.  
Very Imaginative. 

Tom felt almost giddy as he snatched the book. Opening it he quickly skimmed the index, stopping at the third sentence: Lord Voldemort - page 68. He did it! he actually left his mark- _name_ , in history! Sure the fall part wasn't exactly what he wanted but at least he knew he'd be remembered for generations.He wasn't just a no-name orphan erased by time but a piece of history!

Tom hastily flipped to page sixty-eight and began reading: 

_Not much is known about Lord Voldemort- more commonly known as 'You Know Who' aka 'He Who Must Not Be Named'._ _Ask anyone they'd tell you: oh, You Know Who he's just a muggle killer who enjoys speaking to snakes and torturing those in his way._ _But who is he **really?** What was his childhood like? How did he become the dark lord? And what was his relationship with Albus Dumbledore? Rivalry or twisted hero worship?_ _All and more will be revealed in these pages._

What. Utter. Rubbish.  
Tom glared at the book as though it personally offended him (it had). _Hero worship?!_  
Who even wrote this crap?  
He checked the cover, this Miranda Skeeter woman should be banned from ever writing again! Tom angrily thrust the book back in his rightful place on the shelf. He considered picking a different book on the subject, in the hopes it would actually be worth a read, when a yell startled him. 

"Who are you? What are you doing here?!" 

Turning around, Tom came face to face with a child. He was a poster boy for an angel:pale skin, blond hair blue-gray eyes, high cheekbones. The only thing ruining that image was the sneer he was sporting. Must be Lucius' boy - Draco Malfoy. Unless the Malfoys made a point of keeping blond children in the Manor.  
Somehow he doubted it. 

"Tom Riddle. I have business with your father", the dark lord said dismissively. "He's not here", the boy snapped crossing his arms. Tom raised an eyebrow and leaned on the shelf behind him, "I'm waiting for him, per his offer". 

"Well, what would father have to do with the likes of you?", the blond scoffed at Tom. His gaze lingered on Tom's obviously cheap robe, nose wrinkled in disgust. 

The likes of you? That _brat_.  
Tom gritted his teeth trying to keep his magic in control. Harming the little twerp in Lucius' home would be a bad idea. He learned from experience that parents reacted badly when their biological offspring got hurt. Even when the kids had it coming. 

That's how he ended up back in the orphanage after the second time he was adopted. His foster parents had a son who used to constantly torment Tom. But when Tom finally snapped and fought back... Well, let's just say that by the next day he was already back in his old room in the orphanage. 

"Shouldn't you be in school?",Tom snapped, ignoring the question.  
"And stay in an establishment with a dead body?", the blond asked incredulously, "Haven't you heard about the dead Weasley girl?" "Yes, I've... _heard_ a thing or two...", the dark lord mumbled then promptly turned to eye the shelves again. 

"What about you?", the boy walked up to Tom straighting out to his full hight- wasn't that impressive - and trying to stare Tom down - wasn't that impressive either. "Shouldn't you be in school? How old are you? Fourteen?". 

How dare he stick his nose in Tom's buissn - Wait. _Fourteen?_ **_Fourteen?!_** Is he bloody joking? He looks perfectly sixteen! "You know what kid?", the teen lord glared daggers at the blond, "Go chase yourself! Beat it!". Grabbing a random book, Tom walked off to one of the armchairs. 

"Well, you better not steal anything or ruin any of the books!", the brat yelled after Tom, "My father will hear about this!". "Looking forward to it", Tom called back. The Malfoys' boy scoffed and moved to the farthest away armchair from Tom. 

A few hours have passed with the blond staring at the dark lord every once in a while. Tom in return stubbornly ignored him, pretending to be engrossed in reading, until, with a crack the elf from before appeared. "Dinner is served, sirs" the elf announced, "Daisy will escort sirs to the table". "I know where it is", the blond exclaimed and stormed out of the room. 

Rolling his eyes Tom stood to follow the elf.  
He was not looking forward for supper. 


	4. I interrupt this program to bring you:people arguing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After leaving the library Lucius attends a meeting and i fail at politics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow took me way too long to write this chapter and its an intermission too :(  
> anyway, sorry for the wait ,i hope you enjoy my lack of knowledge in how governments/politics work. also i apologize if anyone seems too ooc (read: dumbledore).  
> enjoy!

He was late.  
Lucius quickly navigated his way through the ministry's corridors. Usually he didn't care, in fact he preferred arriving late. It was a good power move - showed he was valuable and knew it. Though, considering the recent events, it wouldn't be wise to stand out. 

And in his defence, the summon did come on a very short notice. 

Coming to a huge doorway, Lucius pushed the doors open and entered a big meeting room. The right wall of the room was mostly windows. Charmed by the magical maintenance department the windows showcased a bright sunny day. A glaring difference from the weather outside, which was mostly smog and light rain. The left wall had a collection of portraits. Some of them were missing from their canvas, most were present, pretending not to pay attention though their curiosity was obvious.  
An enormous round chestnut-coloured desk filled most of the room. Surrounding it sat multiple wizards and witches. 

At the head of the table sat a short pudgy man in dark purple cloak fidgeting with a matching bowler hat. Next to him was seated, what Lucius assumed was a woman - she resembled a giant humanoid toad more- and urgently whispered. 

Great,the minister was here.  
Normally this was a good thing. Lucius was well liked by the minister thus making him a trusted ally. However... 

Lucius cast a look at the far end of the room. There sat a tall looming figure in atrocious glowing Turquoise robes and a pointy mustered-coloured hat with teal stars that unnecessarily added to his height. The man was recognizable to every single witch and wizard in Britain.  
From his blue sparkling eyes that were barely hidden behind half-moon spectacles to his long silvery beard. Everyone knew what Albus Percival Wulfric Brian "I-add-an-extra-name-every-year" Dumbledore looked like. The headmaster was one of the most powerful and influential people in Britain's Wizarding world. And while it was mostly rumors and speculations that the dark lord himself feared him, it was public knowledge that the minister did.

The minister- Cornelius Fudge- raised his eyes spotting Lucius.  
"Oh Lucius!", he exclaimed relieved "Come, sit sit!", Fudge patted the seat next to him. Lucius gracefully accepted the offer.

"Now that everyone is here, we can begin", the minister nodded at a square-jawed witch with cropped gray hair. Amelia Bones, head of the department of magical law enforcement cleared her throat then spoke, her voice booming throughout the room.

"Witches and wizards! We are gathered here today because a girl was found dead on school grounds!", she paused for a moment and glanced around the seated gauging their reactions. None of the gathered seemed surprised. On the day of the death, by evening, most of the country already knew all about the death and what related parties (and unrelated) think about it. The Daily Prophet spared no minute in bringing the scandal to the people.

"Our main objective is to make sure this never repeats in the future", madam Bones continued grimly, "It is a serious matter, I expect everyone will take the consideration in the upmost of- "

"I don't see why this meeting is even necessary", Lucius drawled, "Seems pretty obvious to me that our only course of action is to shut down Hogwarts".  
This statement prompted various reactions. A few wizards and witches cried in outrage, two witches nodded in agreement, many fidgeted in their seats uncomfortably.

"Mr. Malfoy!", Amelia Bones protested.

"Now, now Lucius let's not be so hasty...", minister Fudge said nervously attempting to intervene, shooting glances at Hogwarts' headmaster.

"This entire meeting is pointless!", Lucius continued, ignoring Fudge. "We were going to raise hypothetical solutions for possible threats while ignoring the present ongoing threat!"

"I assure you, Mr. Malfoy, the basilisk was taken care of", Dumbledore cut him off calmly.

"I meant your school".

"And I'm sure the Aurors _will_ do their best to catch the culprit before he harms anyone again", the headmaster shot a knowing look at Rufus Scrimgeour, head of the Auror office - a scruffy looking man with a full mane of graying hair who seemed in dire need of sleep.  
Cheeks flushing he cleared his throat then spoke, "Auror Williamson is making great progress on the case, though investigating in a school full of people is Eh... impractical".

"Are you suggesting sending everyone home?" Mr Bell questioned, an elderly member of the Hogwarts board of governors that Lucius couldn't stand ( _ugh muggle-lover_ ). "Wouldn't that give the killer a chance to escape?"

"The students had been permitted to leave if they see it fit. Hogwarts' doors were never sealed", Dumbledore pushed his spectacles up and leaned back in his chair before continuing, "The killer could've left already".

"That's assuming they are a student", the toad woman crooned sweetly, "It could be someone else - there are some... Unsavory characters in your school".

Oh, now Lucius remembered. The woman was Dolores Umbridge the recently appointed Senior Undersecretary of the Minister for Magic. Apparently she tried to campaign for anti-werewolf legalization and that merpeople should be rounded up and tagged, starting with Hogwarts' merpeople. Evidently it didn't work out.  
"I vouch for each one of my staff! None of them would've done it!", Dumbledore said straightening to his full impressive hight. Silence filled the room until it was broken by a cough that sounded suspiciously like 'Quirrell'.

The headmaster tilted his head. " I admit I may have made some errors in the past regarding the staff. However", he paused for a bit, his eyes boring holes into Umbridge who shifted nervously. "I would entrust each one with my life!"  
"As I would with Rubeus Hagrid who, I believe, is now officially proven to be innocent?" he raised a bushy eyebrow at Amelia Bones.

Fudge reluctantly let out a mumbled 'I suppose' as Amelia nodded solemnly "Mr. Hagrid will be set free immediately".

"Why are we talking about teachers? ("Hardly", Umbridge scoffed) shouldn't we talk about the basilisk?", another member of the Hogwarts board of governors urgently asked- a short brunette, Lucius constantly forgets the name of, "Are we really sure it's dead? Or that there's no more basilisks running around the school?"

"I assure you Mrs. Carter, I have seen the carcass myself." Dumbledore replied quickly, "Harry Potter, his friend, Ron Weasley and professor Lockhart found the chamber of secrets and slayed the serpent with...minimal injuries".

So the boy-wonder does it again. The young lord will be _thrilled_. Salazar forbids the boy ever stops interfering.

"As for the basilisks, the chamber was searched. No additional serpents were found", the headmaster added.

"Doesn't mean there aren't any", Madam Bones dismissed. "Mrs. Kettleburn! Have you a word on the matter?", she addressed a short dark-skinned woman that Lucius doesn't recall seeing before. The woman was startled from her doodling. She pushed her glasses up and blinked owlishly at Amelia.

"Er what? Oh, the basilisk, right", she cleared her throat "Well, they don't reproduce normally... The only way to breed them is by hatching a chicken egg under a toad".

Uh, she must be the head of the beast division at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. No wonder Lucius hasn't recognized her.

The woman waved her quill in the air, "So I would think the chances of that happening is very slim. Unless the killer took to breeding snakes which is..." she grimaced. "I guess I could send a team to do a sweep. Although we do have our hands full with the forests in Albania - lots of weird stuff there...", Mrs. Kettleburn chewed on her quill lost in thought.

"That's a great idea! A team of investigators will be sent to Hogwarts as soon as possible", Fudge exclaimed before faltering, "That is, if the headmaster doesn't object..."

"Not at all. Madam Kettleburn is more than welcome to search every inch of wallpaper",Dumbledore smiled at the short woman, his eyes sparkling, "if that means the students will be safe in the upcoming year".

_Upcoming year? Is he serious-?_

"I don't remember taking a vote on the fate of Hogwarts", Lucius said coldly. A few exclamations of agreement were heard throughout the room.

"What alternatives do we have? Shutting down Hogwarts? What will we gain?", someone asked.

"Gain?! Our children alive maybe?", a shrill voice replied.A loud argument broke out. Veiled and unveiled insults were thrown about, opinions were angrily called out, some of the arguing jumped to their feet passionately reasoning. The portraits no longer pretended to be asleep, they watched enchanted, throwing their own two cents into the conversation.

Lucius observed the chaos in distaste. This is precisely why you shouldn't employ half-bloods in the government. Their tainted blood causes all kinds of trouble.  
Dumbledore meanwhile just stroked his beard calmly, not worried about the school's future in the slightest. 

"With all due respect, Madam-", minister Fudge attempted to control the situation. "Mr. Jorkins! Control yourself! This is hardly appropriate, no-now hold on a second!"

" **Quiet!** ", Amelia's voice cutting through the air emphasized by magic. " **Are we at a quidditch match? Either discuss in a dignified way or not at all!** ", she lowered her wand from her neck and mumbled 'Finite' to end the spell. Voice back to normal, she prompted various counsel members to disclose their opinion.

"- we can't close it down, it's tradition! -"

"- there are other schools, we don't need -"

"- financially speaking it'll be better not to shut it down -"

"- financially? Our children are dying! -"

Repetitive arguments were thrown back and forth as every member tried to prove their own rightfulness. This wasn't how Lucius envisioned his evening. He desperately wanted to get back to the impressive feat of magic that somehow found his way to the Malfoy manor. And more importantly he wanted to find out if that _feat of magic_ dispossessed of all evidence linking Lucius to the dead girl.  
The dark lord wasn't exactly known for subtly. In the past that suited Lucius just fine. While the dark lord went around attracting attention to himself, who noticed Lucius getting his way in the background?  
Now though, the blond would very much like his way not to lead to Azkaban. Dark lord or not, if there is a single chance of his family being implicated in aiding a murderer, he himself will deliver the teen lord to the ministry on a silver platter. 

At this point voices were being raised again and the discussion seemed to slowly escalate into name calling. Madam Bones quickly intervened before anyone could draw their wand, "I believe having a vote _now_ would be a good idea, minister".

"Right", Fudge cleared his throat, "Everyone in favor of shutting down Hogwarts raise their hand".  
A few people raised their hand including Lucius and the Dolores woman. Dumbledore serenely popped a lemon-drop (that he had just materialized Salazar knows where from) into his mouth.  
After counting the votes the minister said, "And everyone against -?"

A much larger number of hands were raised. Most of the Hogwarts board of governors raised their hand. Lucius glared at his fellow colleagues.  
Merlin, they all were a bunch of morons.

"Alright then, looks like Hogwarts stays open!", the minister clasped his hands satisfied. "Well it will be closed during the investigation, of course! but next year - all yours Dumbledore", he nodded at the silver bearded wizard. "If there's nothing else -"

"Hem hem"

Cornelius Fudge paused and glanced at Dolores Umbridge who was busy clearing her throat. "Yes, Dolores?"

"Not to interrupt, minister", the woman said sweetly, "But I was under the impression that headmaster Dumbledore was discharged from his job?"

Lucius raised his eyebrow. Well, well. Seems like Umbridge could be considered an ally.

"Ah yes", Dumbledore said, "As it happens, on the day of the kidnapping I have received eleven letters from the other governors asking me to return to my post. Moreover all of them, weirdly enough, appeared to be under the impression that you have threatened to curse their family if they don't agree to suspend me, Mr. Malfoy".

Lucius paled. "What was I supposed to do? My son was in danger! How was I supposed to know you were doing anything to prevent that", he spluttered.

"Mr. Malfoy's hasty actions aside, he did have a point", Umbridge said quickly inserting herself into the conversation again. "The ministry has no way of knowing what measures are taken in Hogwarts. Perhaps",she paused, "If Hogwarts wasn't so isolated from the ministry - if there was, for example, a ministry representative of some sort...unnecessary actions could be prevented".

Lucius stared at her unwillingly impressed. Definitely an ally that Dolores.

"Interesting proposition! We'll discuss this with Dumbledore at a later date?", Fudge questioned the headmaster who nodded bemused.

"Very well, if that's everything?", the minister glanced around the room. He drew his wand and pressed it to his temple, extracting a memory as per protocol. He sealed it in a tiny glass bottle that he kept in his cloak and exclaimed "Meeting adjourned!".

Noise filled the room as everyone stood at once to take their leave discussing the meeting or making unrelated smalltalk as they go.Lucius leaped to his feet wasting no time on socializing. He had to have a long extensive talk about every single action the young lord made. If a mistake was made the sooner he hears about it the sooner he can remedy the situation.

He quickly maneuvered his way to the door. Now all he needed was to get home and get some answers -

"Oh just a moment Lucius! there's something I wanted to discuss with", Fudge called out to him.

\- Right after he finishes talking to the minister...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you liked the chapter!  
> i tweaked some of the characters history a bit to fit better with the story (umbridge for example was employed to be the undersecretary earlier in my story) and most of the names mentioned are random names that appear in the original books (but they will probably never appear again so don't worry about any permanent ocs).  
> in the next chapter Tom finally meets Narcissa and gets convinced to stay.


	5. Be our guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which Narcissa proves to be a difficult character, Tom struggles with etiquette, Lucius just wants to talk about Hogwarts and Draco is just there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so sorry it took so long, this chapter just refused to be written. hope you like it!

"- Honestly the nerve of that man is beyond bounds -"

Tom tuned out Lucius' prattle. He let the blond's complaints wash over him as he stared intensely at his cutlery.

He and the Malfoy family were seated in the main dining-room (the one intended for family use). Tom supposed he should feel flattered but he'd seen the guests dining-room and he's well aware it's impractical for just one guest. Not that this dining-room was by any means small, there was enough space for at least ten people. (Chairs could be added with ease per request.)

Lucius was sitting at the far end of the table, facing the door - the usual head of the family seat. Mrs. Malfoy, a tall blonde with dark roots (so she does dye her hair!) and blue eyes, was seated to Lucius' right, facing Tom. The teen was sitting to Lucius' left pretending not to notice the glares being sent his way by the blond child sitting to his right. Obviously Tom was occupying the brat's regular seat, he felt a childlike smugness at the prospect.  
As soon as they sat to the table a boggling amount of dishes magically appeared, startling Tom who was expecting the house elves to serve them (like they do in the pictures about rich people). It wasn't as though he never saw this much food in his life. He had - Hogwarts served spectacular feasts for breakfast, lunch and supper. But Hogwarts also had a castle-full of students, teachers and help. The Malfoy manor had only a family of three plus Tom. Tom wondered if every meal in this household was so extravagant. 

The young lord turned his focus back to the silverware. He read enough books and seen enough picture shows to know that the wealthy used different cutlery for different dishes. None of those novels nor films, unfortunately, had taught him the proper etiquette of using them.  
The Malfoy family wasn't helping either. 

The youngest was mechanically spreading butter on his dinner roll - which was hardly useful, Tom knew what a butter knife was. (He still fondly recalls the day Ben from the orphanage tried to threaten him with a butter knife. The glee Tom got from the knife's sudden transformation into a butcher's knife in the worst possible moment - for Ben that is, he still sports an impressive scar on his hand - was worth the berating Tom got afterwards).

Mrs. Malfoy was preoccupied with cautiously pouring broth into a fancy-looking bowl. Very cautiously. Too cautiously for something so simple. Tom caught the blond woman's eye, she leveled him with a knowing glance before continuing with her task. Tom pretended he didn't notice and poured himself a glass of water.   
_This family was driving him insane._

Lucius kept going on about some meeting he had, barely touching the food in front of him. He was referring to people and events Tom wasn't aware of. Mrs. Malfoy seemed to understand, though, judging by the way she kept humming and nodding. When Lucius finally stopped to breathe, she took her chance.

"Husband dear? Not to interrupt, but I wasn't aware we had guests today."

Lucius looked at his wife feigning surprise. "Ah yes, how rude of me", he cleared his throat "Tom, this is my wife - Narcissa. Cissy this is Tom Riddle - the dark lord reincarnated."

_What._

Tom choked on his water. 

A loud clank was heard as the youngest Malfoy dropped his knife dramatically onto his plate. He gaped at Tom as though he haven't seen the teen lord before, his face was gradually reddening. Narcissa on the other hand was the face of composure, only a slight widening of her eyes indicated her shock at the statement.

"Draco! Close your mouth! Is that any way to a Malfoy to behave?", Lucius sharply scolded the blond boy. Draco immediately snapped his mouth shut and became suddenly very interested in his half eaten dinner roll. 

Narcissa coughed slightly then said: "The dark lord? And how exactly did you come across him, dear?" 

"As a matter of fact I didn't", Lucius drawled, "He approached me himself". The blond nodded at teen. 

Narcissa turned her gaze to Tom, who was trying to discreetly wipe the water off his chin. He paused, "That's correct" he confirmed, not adding another word. The woman hummed thoughtfully. 

"Reincarnation... Must be a very powerful magic" 

"It was", Tom wasted no opportunity to gloat about his achievements, even when said achievements where imaginary. "A very difficult ritual that comes with quite the cost, as you can see", he indicated at himself. "Certain... experiences where misplaced." 

"Misplaced? As in missing?", she raised her barley existing eyebrows, "You recall nothing of your previous life?" 

"Only bits and pieces" 

"How awful!", she handed him a pot "Broth?" 

"Thank you", Tom accepted gratefully - a spoon was something he could work with. 

Silence filled the room.  
"Finding your way here must have been difficult", Narcissa finally said. 

The teen nodded, "Fortunately, most of my childhood memories are intact, and I knew your father," he added to Lucius. 

Abraxas Malfoy, Lucius' father, was one of Tom's fellow students in Hogwarts. They both were in the same year and same house - Slytherin. In Tom's first years at Hogwarts the blond pureblood used to shun and mock the teen lord. He quickly changed his tune after witnessing Tom's ability to speak snake (and after witnessing Tom's creative spellwork first hand). Since then the aristocrat followed Tom around like a puppy. He didn't mind much, the blond was easy enough to ignore. 

"He had mentioned that, once or twice", Lucius confirmed smugly. 

"Very fortunate indeed", Narcissa hummed and took a sip from her glass. "If I am not too forward, what were you hoping from visiting us?" 

Tom wasn't expecting her to be so blunt. He took a few spoonfuls of soup to prolong his internal debate. Should he really be disclosing everything to this woman? 

"I was hoping to regain my memories - by learning more about myself," was what he decided to go with. It was far enough from the truth yet close enough to not seem like he was lying through his teeth. (Not that he has any problem with lying through his teeth but everyone knew that a good lie is just a bit of truth with a twist). 

"Then you came to the right place," Lucius said triumphantly "Out of any of your followers, I probably know the most about you"

"And perhaps Abraxas' portrait could help shed some light." Narcissa mused. "Lucius will show you later - you must be tired after traveling all this way from... Where exactly are you from?" 

Tom finished his last spoon of broth unhappily. He couldn't say Hogwarts for obvious reasons. But mentioning his hometown didn't fill him with joy either. He hated his orphanage, the people there, hated his city (and the wreckage it turned into). 

"Canning Town - East London," the teen said finally. 

"I don't think I've ever been there," Narcissa said thoughtfully, "Is it nice there?" 

"No." 

They continued to eat in silence for a while. Tom mimicked the brat and preoccupied himself with dinner rolls. If he ate enough of them it would seem as though he was eating a lot and satiating himself all the while not making a complete fool of himself. 

When it seemed that everyone has finished eating, Lucius made a complicated gesture and all the plates and cutlery disappeared. In their place stood a moderately big teapot with four delicate-looking china teacups. On a plate, next to the cups, blueberry scones were stacked up. Narcissa casually picked a cup, poured tea in it and passed it over to Tom. He thanked her, hyper aware of her calculating gaze. Moreover Draco's shifting glances between Narcissa and Tom, as though they're having an intense dual, was starting to grate on the teen's nerves.  
Lucius looked as though he wanted to say something but decided against it. Instead he just coughed awkwardly. 

Fine. Tom got the hint. He knew when he wasn't wanted. (Usually it just made him want to stay longer just to be contrary. Now, he figured, it wouldn't benefit him in the slightest.) He took a few sips of the scolding liquid then said, mostly to Narcissa:  
"Well it is getting late," he paused a bit, "You were right. Coming here was... tiring. I should come back in the morning -" 

"Come back?" Narcissa cut him off (Tom barely managed to not glare at her. _Rude_ ), "Where from? You're staying here, of course." 

"It's hardly necessary." he gritted his teeth. He wasn't some charity case, he didn't need their help. He was fine on his own - he manged well enough until now. 

"And where were you planning to go? Back to Canning?" She asked not waiting for an answer, "Nonsense, what kind of hosts will we be if we kicked you out?"

She finished her last drop of tea and stood defiantly. "I'll inform Dobby to ready the guest-room for you."

With those words she strode purposely out of the room her robes billowing behind her (the teen wondered if the Malfoys were trained to walk like that or was it natural. Or perhaps a spell...?). Tom stared after her speechless. He hadn't expected her to react like that. He hadn't expected any of her reactions. He wasn't sure he cared for her. 

Tom's musing was cut off by Lucius voice, ordering his offspring:  
"Draco! Go to your room"

The blond child looked like he might object. After a quick look sent to him by his father, he snatched two scones and slipped out in a huff. Left alone, Lucius turned towards the teen lord. 

"Now. if you don't mind, my lord," the blond leveled Tom with a serious glance "I would like to discuss what exactly happened in Hogwarts. In detail." 

"What is there to discuss? A girl died, very tragic. The end." Tom said, bored with the subject already. "Oh? are you worried you're connected to the death?" he smirked at the blond, "Don't. No one can trace anything to you, or me - I took care of it." 

Lucius tightened his lips. "I merely want to be thorough. The ministry is conducting a serious investigation for once. So please, did anyone see you?" 

Tom rolled his eyes, "No. Just the girl." 

"No one else?" 

"No"  
Well, the Potter kid did for a few minutes but that hardly mattered. There was no way to connect the diary to the attacks. 

"Did you leave anything? Anything at all?" 

"No." 

"Take, then?" 

"N-"

Tom stopped. He stiffly reached his hand to the stolen wand in his pocket. Lucius stood abruptly and moved towards the teen. 

"What? What is it?" 

The teen lord showed the wand wordlessly. How could have he been so stupid? How could he forget about the trace placed on every child's wand? If the wand stays where it is and the aurors prove to be competent, the Malfoys and Tom could find themselves suspects in a murder. 

"Can't you get to Hogwarts and leave the wand there?" Tom asked desperate to quickly fix his mistake. 

Lucius shook his head gravely, "It's closed to all, during the investigation."

"Everything can still be salvaged." The blond continued. He took the wand thoughtfully and placed it in his robe. "I'll see about getting you a new wand." 

Malfoy turned to the door. "I'll show you to your room, shall I?" 

He lead the teen through long corridors to one of the Malfoys' many guest-rooms. 

"Daisy will wake you for breakfast." Lucius informed Tom and bade the boy goodnight before making his exit. Tom barely noticed him leave. He was fuming to himself. He couldn't believe he missed something so simple!   
He moved automatically to the bed not paying attention to the interior of the room. 

How could he make such a foolish mistake? So much for his higher intellect. His magic began to build up. He sat on the edge of the bed, gritting his teeth trying to rein in his magic. 

He should have realized it sooner! 

He should have - 

Oh.  
He sank face-down into the mattress. Relaxing instantly, he felt his magic calming.This was the softest bed he had ever laid on, Even softer than in his dormitories in Hogwarts. It was incredible!

He'd worry about his lapse of judgment tomorrow. For now he'd just enjoy the sensation of sleeping in a real life (not wet) cloud. Not bothering with undressing or taking his shoes off, Tom's eyes fluttered shut and he immediately fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i couldn't find the exact location of tom's orphanage so i picked east london at random and canning town just because it was bombed during wwii *shrugs*. i have never been to canning or london so any opinions tom has about them (here or in future chapters) are purely his and i apologize if it offends anyone.  
> anyways i really hoped you enjoyed this chapter!  
> next up:tom throws a temper tantrum.


	6. Wanna be a real boy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> lots of talking,shouting and breaking. Lucius didn't sign up for this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> schedule? who's she never heard of her. maybe one day i'll post on time.  
> this chapter is pretty much dialog heavy,cant say im happy with it maybe ill rewrite it.  
> enjoy :)

Tom came to slowly. Letting his eyes stay closed, he allowed his other senses to wake him. Nothing but silence surrounded him and for a second, panic began to creep inside  
him. He couldn't be back in the diary, could he? He didn't imagine escaping the pages, did he?

He sat up with a start, examining his surroundings. It didn't look like the inside of the journal. For one thing, it was a lot brighter - the wide windows that led to the balcony, let sunlight in. And the light-cream paint coating the walls also added to brighten the room.

For another, it actually had furniture. He was sitting on a queen-sized bed, covered with white silky bed-sheets. On each side of the bed stood a tiny nightstand (that proved to be empty). In the corner of the room, near the window, was a brilliant wooden desk with shelves hanging above it. The shelves were struggling with the weight of multiple volumes. (Tom figured the books were meant for decoration more than reading.) To the table's right hung a full length mirror with a silver frame.

Tom stared at the room disorientedly. Where was -?  
The events of the previous day hit him. He resisted a groan.Right. That will be the last time he acts impulsively. From now on - simple plans, easy execution - no ways to fail. Talk to the Malfoys, learn about himself, find himself, join himself, help himself. Simple.

He untangled his legs from the blanket (odd, he doesn't remember covering himself) and got up. Lucius had said, yesterday, that he would be called for breakfast. Which means he has time to kill until then. He moved towards the mirror. Might as well better his appearance in the meantime. He grimaced at his the sight of his hair. Dark strands of hair sticking out in all directions, even worse, it was starting to curl up. Tom attempted to wandlessly spell his hair to cooperation, it worked for the most part. At the very least he felt elated that he wasn't completely helpless without his wand.

Next he moved on to his clothes. Smoothing down the wrinkles from his robes, without a wand, proved much more difficult than he thought it would. After a few hopeless attempts the mirror stopped him. 

"None of that, love." it said drowsily, "They left you some clothes." 

At Tom's inquiring glance, the mirror added: "In the wardrobe on the left, doll." 

The door Tom assumed lead to the hall or the loo, actually opened up to a sizable walk-in closet. Aside from a single button-up shirt, pair of pants and a plain black robe, the wardrobe was completely empty. Electing to dress in the wardrobe rather than the room (undressing in front of sentient objects just felt weird), he quickly put the clothes on. They looked too plain and un-Malfoy-like, Tom figured it was Lucius' rejected clothes - not flashy enough - shrunk down. The size didn't fit that well but anything was better than wearing the same outfit he had worn for decades.

Leaving his school uniform in a pile on the floor he stepped back into the room. With more time to waste, he decided he might as well know his surroundings better. By the time Daisy, the house elf, came to bring him to breakfast, Tom already managed to search the whole room. Look in every drawer, flip through all the books twice, find the bathroom and even wonder if the snake-shaped water faucets indicated on a secret cellar until deciding the Malfoys probably had a secret dungeon although not one that opened via parseltongue.

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Only Lucius bothered to join Tom at the dining room. Narcissa, apparently, tends to her garden in the mornings and the spoiled brat makes a habit of sleeping through breakfast when not in school. Which left Tom facing a composed Lucius who acted as if nothing went wrong yesterday. At this point, Tom wasn't sure if he rather just have the youngest Malfoy as company than sit there clueless of what Lucius planned to do about the girl's wand. 

"What will you do with it?" the teen asked after, finally, running out of patience (didn't take long).

Lucius, who was about to take a bite of his omelet, glanced at his fork then at Tom and raised his eyebrow. 

"The wand, I meant the wand." 

"Ah, right," The blond casually leaned back. "Trust me, I wouldn't worry about that." he dismissed.

Trust? _Lucius?_ oh sure, as far as he can throw him. Which, considering Tom doesn't have a wand, wouldn't be very far. Very well, a little subtle incentive should help. 

"That's a bit difficult to accomplish, seeing as I barely know you," Tom pointed out. "I do however, know myself - I'm sure he would be most grateful to hear of your help when he returns."

Lucius jaw tightened, after a brief searching look he said, "So you believe you - the dark lord, will return? After all this time?"

"Well, I'm back, am I not?" Tom replied. "Restoring your body from just a soul is a lot harder than It sounds. It takes a lot of power, and he is more powerful then I am, at this point." the teen begrudgingly admitted, "He should be back shortly." 

Tom smirked as Lucius appeared to have a mental discussion. _Hook, line etc, etc_. Concluding his dilemma, Lucius composed himself again and began to speak. 

"Returning the wand to Hogwarts, would not be possible." the blond contemplated out loud. "It's closed up to anyone but certain personnel - unfortunately, I am not among them." he paused and stared at his glass as though it held the meaning of the universe. 

"Can't you use your position in the ministry to put the wand with the evidence?" Tom inquired, fidgeting with his fork. 

"My thoughts precisely." Lucius agreed unhappily. "The timing would be tricky tho. Should it be during a crowded time or would after-work-hours be a better choice..." the blond said, more to himself then to Tom, getting lost in his thoughts for a few minutes.

"Considerations for some other time perhaps." Lucius waved his hand as though dismissing the previous conversation. "I believe I promised you a talk with my father?" 

 

 

 

The portrait of Abraxas Malfoy hung in one of the smaller offices near the library. Above the work desk, the painting took up most of the wall facing a full-body mirror. By the room's set up, it was obvious that the portrait was the main attraction. Tom was amazed at how well Abraxas' narcissism was carried over in his death.

"Good morning, father." Lucius smoothly greeted the painting. 

"Well if it isn't my own flesh and blood! actually making an effort to come and see his father," Abraxas said, "How much time has passed since the last visit?" the elder blond pretended to think. "Ah right. _Years_." 

Tom felt it was comforting, if anything, that some things never change. Even in his older age Abraxas' flair for dramatics remained. Lucius, evidently didn't feel the same. His lips tightened and he looked about ready to fling the painting out of a window.

"We have a guest. Father." Lucius hissed at the portrait. The elder Malfoy lifted an eyebrow then turned his attention to the teen. For a moment Abraxas seemed confused at the appearance of a teenage stranger in ill-fitting clothes. After Tom glared at the bewildered portrait, the man's eyes widened in recognition.

"Well, I'll be cursed!" Abraxas murmured in awe. "You're - Voldemort? Riddle?"

Tom nodded in confirmation. Abraxas let out a bark of surprised laughter, shaking his head in disbelief. 

"Merlins beard, Look at you!" the blond exclaimed, "you look no older then thirteen!" 

Really? Are all the Malfoys blind!?  
"Sixteen." Tom growled. The portrait just shrugged back.

"Honestly, I should have known your so called death wouldn't hold," Abraxas leaned against the drawn sofa in his painting, "Can't say I've ever imagined something like this" he gestured at Tom.

The teen straightened defensively, "Things might not have gone exactly as planned," he let out begrudgingly, "But that hardly matters - I haven't come here to dwell on my appearance."

"Oh well." Abraxas seemed disappointed. His son shot a warning look at him, to which he just smirked condescendingly.

Ignoring the pair, Tom continued: "As I said some parts of the plan went... wrong. My memories, for example - they're gone."

"Gone? As in can't-remember-anything gone?" the portrait exclaimed in shock. Both Lucius and Tom stared at him disbelieving. "I was merely clarifying. Nothing at all?" 

"Obviously I remember you and my Hogwarts' years," Tom rolled his eyes, "I was hoping you could fill in the rest." 

"I can hardly help with that." Abraxas said contemplating, "After graduation you refused every offer of employment and disappeared." he explained. 

"When you returned, some years later, you had quite a few of followers with you - I assumed you went to forge more connections. And the thing you did once you were finally back in England?" he lifted his eyebrow and took a dramatic pause. Tom shifted impatiently and crossed his arms waiting for the portrait to continue.

From past experience he learned that rushing Abraxas, when he was feeling dramatic, wasn't going to help. The blond once ranted for two hours straight, even after being magically muted, about _hair products_.

"Why going to Hogwarts, of course!" 

"Why?" Tom wasn't expecting that, why go back to Hogwarts after being away for so long?

"I am not sure," Abraxas shrugged, "I met you on your way out - see, I had this meeting wi-" 

"Father, will you stick to the matter at hand?" Lucius interrupted sharply. Rolling his eyes Abraxas resumed his story. 

"I don't know why you went there but you certainly weren't happy with what you got." Abraxas moved over to the sofa and sprawled on it, "Then again you never were after speaking with Dumbledore." 

"Dumbledore?" 

"At that point in time he was the headmaster, it only makes sense you two talked - " 

Going to Hogwarts after graduating, made perfect sense. As much as he can admit it, Tom liked Hogwarts. It was the first (probably the only) place he felt like he, mostly, fit in. He even considered staying to teach briefly. But the timing was wrong. Why wait years to visit Hogwarts - he wasn't sentimental he'd hardly visit for the sake of visitation. And why, for Merlin's sake, when _Dumbledore_ is in charge?! Did Tom know about the headmaster? If so why was he purposely preventing himself from succeeding in his endeavors? Or perhaps it was unfortunate timing? Snapping back from his musing, Tom managed to hear Abraxas concluding his sentence.

"- working in that awful pawn shop, for some reason."

Tom blinked. How much did he miss? Was it important? A glance at Lucius' face reassured the teen it wasn't.

"Borgin and Burkes is a valuable business ally. As much as I don't like them, they are useful - " Lucius stepped closer to the painting, speaking pointedly.

The teen lord stared between the two Malfoys, trying to comprehend. He used to work at Burgin and Burkes? That was an odd decision. What drove him to do that? The more he hears about his actions in the future the less he understands himself. Why would he work in some measly store that specializes in selling and trading ancient artifacts and heirloo-  
Oh.  
Actually that makes sense. Where else would he find the perfect artifacts for his horcruxes.

"They're leaches, is what they're are! Mooching of, of naive pureblooded wizards! Stealing their -"

"- you can't hoard everything for eternity, father! Sometimes it is beneficial -"

No way is Tom going to be wrapped up in their unnecessary dramatic familial feuds."Enough!" the teen yelled, sending a glare at each man for emphasis, "You, Picture! Keep talking.

Both Malfoy men fell silent. Then Abraxas cleared his throat and said:"During your retail period, you kept amassing followers. By the time you quit, our forces were big enough for small to moderate attacks."  
"We began fighting against the muggle and muggleborn community. The Wizarding community protested and fought back which resulted in a full out war between the death eaters and Dumbledore's order of -"

"Wait," Tom cut in, "To clarify, our first move was an active attack on muggles? As in death/torture?"

Abraxas inclined his head in affirmation,"Yes."

Tom pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming. He can't believe how recklessly he acted. Attacking first hand was just plain stupid-  
No, Tom must not have all the information. There must be something behind his actions. 

Tom gritted his teeth, "Did I at least have the ministry on my side?" 

Abraxas and Lucius exchanged looks. "Well...no." Abraxas admitted. 

"So," Tom said slowly, "instead of taking over the ministry and changing the Wizarding world subtly. I have elected to just become a terrorist? Is that it?! 

The portrait tensed, "That's not -" 

"It made sense, at the time," Lucius stepped in defensively, "Strategically, it was -" 

Tom snapped his gaze to Lucius. In his eyes was a familiar glint of red. Lucius tightened his hand on his cane and glanced briefly at the door. Even when young, no one wanted to stay in the same room as an angry Lord Voldemort. 

"Strategically?!" Tom blurted, "He painted a target on himself! Was there any doubt he'd end up dead? When he went around acting like a reckless gryffindor?!" 

He turned to Abraxas. "How did he die? Why?" 

Abraxas replied stiffly, "I was ill back then, I may not know everything exactly..." at Tom's expression, the painting hurriedly added, "Lucius correct me if I'm wrong, it all happened because of the prophecy?" 

"Indeed" Lucius confirmed taking no time to answer, "The prophecy pointed in the direction of the Potter, no one really knows what happened there. 

"Prophecy?!" Tom growled, "that's not real science! You can't rely on them - the amount of wrong prophecies are staggering!" he could feel his magic whirling. Barely using his magic these past days made it restless. He was struggling to keep it under control. 

"What was in it?" he barked at the blonds, "What could possibly be said to make me listen to a seer?" 

"All we know," Lucius answered " is that the one who can vanquished the dark lord will be born to those who defied you thrice on the end of July. We didn't get to hear the rest - our informant got thrown out before the seer was done"

Tom burst out in frenzied laughter. "Not only was I following the word of delusional fortune-teller," the teen yelled, "I also waste my life for an _unfinished sentence?!_ " 

"My lord -"

"No!" Tom snapped, "He was out there throwing everything away for nothing! I sacrificed myself just for him to ruin every plan I had!" 

Now his magic was swirling all around him, crackling in the air, growing stronger as his temper grows. If this was a different circumstance and Lucius wasn't the one most likely to get hurt, he might have been impressed by the power the boy held at this age. Lucius raised a hand as though to placate an aggressive animal, and carefully stepped forward. 

"Why did _he_ get to be bloody free while I was trapped in that book for decades?!" the teen shouted hysterically. 

That's when all chaos broke loose.  
Tom's magic lashed out, toppling the furniture. Lucius was rammed into the wall behind him, he stumbled and fell to his knees. The portrait was ripped from the wall, barely allowing Abraxas time to escape the canvas before it hit the floor. 

Lucius cursed under his breath and pushed himself up using his cane. The teen didn't seem to be aware of what he was doing. He was staring into space, shaking with the strain of unleashing so much magic. Lucius should stop this before the boy either burns out or burns Lucius up. Making a quick decision, the blond casted immobulus. Which was a mistake. Instead of the spell hitting Tom and immobilizing him, as was intended, the spell was deflected. It flew into the mirror, exploding it and sending out hundreds of pieces flying in all directions.

With a dueler's ease Lucius brought up a shield to protect himself from an onslaught of shards. Tom wasn't so lucky. The shards connected with his body, piercing his skin. The pain yanked Tom back into reality with a yelp. His magic fizzled out and he was left panting and slightly swaying. Mortification started trickling in as he realized what just happened. He hadn't lost control like that since he was eleven. 

Lucius dusted himself off, leaving his shield up, just in case. "Well, I believe it's enough for one day. I'll have to get you a new wand sooner than I thought." 

Lucius looked around the room. What a mess, he'll have to inform the house elves to clean it up. He turned his focus to the teen who was bleeding from the multiple cuts on his face and hands. "We should get your cuts looked at." 

Tom remained silent staring at the blood on his hands, detached. Convinced Tom won't outburst again, Lucius purposely made his way to the door. 

"Lucius." 

The blond turned back to face Tom. The boy slowly raised his head, conviction in his eyes. 

"Gather all the books you have on horcruxes. I want my soul back."


	7. Aftremath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the weasleys mourn, dumbledore reflects, fudge just wants a drink and everyone is in different stages of confusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so this is the last chapter before the plot officially starts!! this chapter is meant mostly to close some holes and to push the plot forward. the first two parts have mentions of suicide, nothing graphic but (just to be safe) if you're not comfortable with that you can skip - I've summarized them in the end notes ,so you're not missing anything.  
>  **Warnings** :suicide mentions

It was quiet in the headmaster's office. If not for the humming, emulated by the silvery instruments on the desk and the occasional involuntary sob, it would have been complete silence.  
The sobs' source was a small plump ginger woman. She was seated on a chair in front of the desk and agitatedly twisted a handkerchief.

"Would you please sit down? you're making me nervous." Molly Wesley turned to her husband.

Her husband, Arthur, who up until then was pacing in front of the desk, was startled out of his thoughts. He mumbled an apology and sat rigidly next to Molly.

The door to the office opened and in walked Albus Dumbledore. "Auror Williamson will be here in a moment." he informed. Taking his place behind his desk he studied the grief struck couple in front of him. Molly was looking about ready to burst into tears, twisting that handkerchief like she had a personal vendetta. Arthur on the other hand just seemed exhausted - as though he had long forgotten what sleep was. The bags under his eyes confirmed that.

"Would you like some tea, lemon drop? Arthur? Molly?" Dumbledore offered politely.

Opening her mouth to reply, Mrs. Weasley let out a garbled whimper instead of actual words.

"No. Thank you." Arthur refused sharply.

With a sigh the headmaster sat in his chair. He felt about as Mr. Weasley had looked - exhausted. The last days had been an array of meetings and briefings. But it was nothing compared to thinking about the implications of Ginny's death.  
~~Or worse how every single dead child brings little Ariana to mind.~~

No, as much as he rather not to, he has to consider the death.  
Something that could only be done by one person. But how did Voldemort get into the school without Dumbledore noticing?

There was a knock on the door. 

"Come in." Dumbledore said. 

Arour Williamson walked into the office. His confidence evaporated as soon as he saw the occupants of the room. 

"Headmaster! I, uh," the arour gulped, glancing at the couple. "I'm here to brief you, sir!" he said, nodding to the tall bearded man. Williamson cleared his throat and spoke to the wall, refusing to look anyone in the eye. "We have concluded the investigation. I believe Hogwarts will be open for the next year." 

"What about my Ginny!" Molly demanded. Her husband laid a hand on her knee, trying to calm her down. 

"Did you find who -" Arthur asked, his voice cracking, "d-did you catch the one who -?" 

Williamson hesitated. He could feel the stares of everyone in the room boring into him. He wasn't sure which was worse - Dumbledore's piercing gaze, analyzing his every move or the hopeful, desperate gaze of the Weasleys. 

"That's won't be -" He mumbled "Er, I think -" he sighed, scratching his neck. "It would... probably be best if you just read this." Williamson took out a parchment out of his pocket and handed it over to Arthur. 

A moment of silence passed while the couple read.  
Molly burst in tears. 

"What does that mean?" Arthur asked hoarsely, raising his head to look at the arour, "What is that suppose to be?" he demanded. 

"Mr. Weasley, I understand you're -" 

"Are you telling me, that my daughter - MY little girl!" Mr. Weasley managed to spit out, he stood up stepping closer to Williamson , "T-that she would do something like this?! That she would write _that_." He thrust the parchment at the auror.

Williamson warily inched back to avoid getting a parcel to the face. He took a breath and attempted to continue calmly. 

"Mr. Weasley, I understand you're upset ("Upset?!", Arthur yelled incredulously) but my team and I have investigated everything," he said gradually raising his voice so he'd be heard over Mrs. Wesley's loud weeping. "I'm very sorry, but all the evidence leads to suicide."

Molly let out a sharp wail and buried her face in the handkerchief. Arthur froze in his tracks, his face devoid of any emotions. He opened his mouth to, probably yell at the auror, but before he could make a single sound, Dumbledore intervened. 

"I am sure the aurors did everything they could, hmm?" he leaned forward, "Checked for traces of foreign magic in the chamber? In miss Weasley's belongings?" 

Williamson puffed up, offended. "We're not amateurs!" he cried out defensively, "As a matter of fact, we did check. There was no trace of magic on her, the room or her stuff other than her own magic. There were no trace of imperius -" 

"- And before you ask," Williamson concluded, "we've checked the handwriting too. There is no doubt it was her!" 

There was moment of silence before the auror remembered himself and stuttered an apology to the despairing couple. 

Dumbledore pushed his glasses up, "May I see the letter?" 

Arthur numbly handed over the parchment. The headmaster studied the letter for a while, turning it from one side to another. With a sigh, he took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. 

"Thank you for informing us, auror Williamson. I would like to keep this, if none of you mind." he announced raising the letter slightly. 

The Weasleys simply nodded silently while Williamson shrugged, he had nothing to do with it anymore.  
Coughing awkwardly, Williamson mumbled a " Right. Well, good day then." and made his way out of the office. Upon reaching the door he added, "My condolences" and walked out. 

"She wouldn't do it!" Arthur outburst, when the auror was nowhere in sight. "She wouldn't! Ginny would never hurt anyone, not even a fly, how could she go attacking students?! How can she be behind the attacks? That makes no sense, no sense! Also she wouldn't k- hurt herself - "

"I agree." Albus stated calmly. 

"You do?" Arthur was startled out of his rant. 

Dumbledore nodded, "It's obvious that the... letter was meant to divert our attention away from the culprit. He made sure his escape would not be noticed."

"...He?" Molly asked, "Do think you know who did it?" 

"I have my suspicions." 

"Then why are you letting them go around blaming her?!" Mr. Weasley accused, "Why aren't you telling them?" 

Sighing, Dumbledore replied rather harshly, "Would you believe an old senile fool who says the deceased dark lord is responsible for a supposed suicide?" 

The answer shocked both of the Weasleys, they gaped at the headmaster. 

"The... dark lord?" Arthur whispered, his complexion pale. 

"Arthur" Molly whimpered, reaching out to her shell-shocked husband. 

"Not now, Molly." Arthur said, his voice clipped, "I-I can't -" he shook his head and stormed out of the room. 

Mrs. Weasley got up slowly, "I'll just go after him," she said, choking down a sob. "Make sure he doesn't get into trouble." she tried a slight smile which only ended up as a pained grimace. 

And so Albus Dumbledore was left alone, with Ginny's supposed parting words on his desk. He sighed for the third time and leaned back into his chair. Just as the auror said, he couldn't find any traces of malevolent magic. Dumbledore sat deep in thought until Fawks landed on his shoulder. Albus smiled thinly at his phoenix and reached out to pet him. "Why her? Fawks. Out of all the students why her?" he thought out loud. The bird squawked in reply. Dumbledore put his glasses back on and looked at the letter again. 

"Just what are you planning, Tom?" 

 

 

Staying with the Weasleys after the year's horrible events felt surreal. The usually lively, loud household appeared a lifeless husk of what it was the previous summer. The normally creaking floor was gravely silent, the gnomes inhabiting the garden were nowhere to be seen and even the crooked Burrow itself has been drooping more than usual. The family's spirit wasn't any better. The twins practically shut themselves in their room, barely going out for meals. The only indication that they were home were the explosion sounds coming from their room. 

Percy, surprisingly, took over for Mrs. Weasley, mostly handling the household when Molly lost herself in mourning. Unfortunately he was not showing any signs of being a culinary genius. At best, the food he made was edible. At worst - well, the small fire was put out quickly (thank Merlin for Hermione) and the meal was salvaged (thank Merlin for Harry), so it could be counted as a success. 

Bill and Charlie, still in Egypt and Romania respectively, will be joining the family in a few days for the funeral. 

Mr. Weasley, much like the twins, threw himself into his work. Leaving early in the morning and returning well after supper, Harry barley saw him in the Burrow. 

Mrs. Weasley, constantly on the cusp of tears, spent most of her time in Ginny's room. Shamefully, Harry had to admit that he was actually relieved at the elder Weasley's absence. Facing the couple that took him in with open arms last summer (and now), was a bit too much. The guilt of letting them down was impossible to deal with. Though Molly repeatedly told him she's glad he's not harmed, and that they were grateful for his help, Harry still felt awful. If only he got to the chamber sooner! 

Even just staying in the same room with Ron was painful. If it wasn't for Hermione, Harry might have considered staying in the Leakey Cauldron until the summer vacation starts. Originally that was his plan, knowing that his aunt and uncle would hate having him in the house sooner than necessary. But he just couldn't refuse Molly Weasley's hopeful face when she invited both him and Hermione. 

"- And they're saying it's her fault?! As if - As if!!" Ron growled, angrily bouncing a rubber ball off the wall. The Golden trio were currently sitting (or lying in Ron's case) in Ron's room. As usual their wary, awkward conversation veered back into the 'Ginny' territory. 

"Bollocks! Why the bloody HELL would she attack muggleborns?!" He threw the ball too hard causing it to ricochet off the wall and almost hit him in the face. 

Hermione winced and hid herself behind the massive tome she was pretending to read. Harry silently found another imaginary stain on his broomstick, which he had been polishing for the last hour. Sometimes it was better to just allow Ron to let everything out. Eventually he will calm down, though Harry wasn't sure if that's preferable - Ron just ended up miserable looking. 

"And how the hell would she get to the chamber anyway? The only way we got there was cause Harry speaks parseltongue, right?" 

"Yeah" Harry agreed quietly. This was the fifth time in two days that argument had come up. 

"So she obviously couldn't have done it!" Ron huffed in anger, "I swear when I get my hands on- on that faker I'll -!" the ginger cursed and made a violent gesture. 

"Ron!" Hermione yelped and shut her book, "You can't! It's too dangerous, that wizard or witch who opened the chamber - they are _very_ powerful! Even Dumbledore doesn't know how they did it."

"Well I can't just do nothing!" Ron lashed out, jumping to his feet, " _They_ are out there possibly planning to kill more people, Dumbledore does nothing and the Ministry keeps telling everyone my sister KILLED HERSELF!" 

He stood there for a while panting, trying to calm down. At Hermione's stricken face, he added. "Look, Mione I'm sorry" he rubbed his face tiredly, "it's just, Percy's cooking and mom constantly checking if we're alive and the funeral is so soon and mom and dad didn't even get her wand back! I mean what kind of funeral is that - with no wand?!" Ron flopped down to his bed miserably. 

Before Hermione could manage to ask about Wizarding burials, Harry silenced her with a pointed look. "What do you mean, they didn't get her wand back?" Harry asked, "I thought the ministry returned all of her things, didn't they?" 

Ron sighed, "Yes, but the wand wasn't there. Dad stormed the arour department and they said all her stuff was returned! No wand!" 

"They can't do that!" Hermione cried, "They can't hold on to it, they have no right!" she put the book away, invested in the conversation. 

"I don't think they do." Harry bit his lip, "Hold on to it, I mean. When I was down _there_ -" he fidgeted with the cloth he was using to polish his broom. "I didn't see it anywhere, and if they found it in her pockets or her stuff, why would they keep it?" 

The trio sat in silence. 

"Maybe they don't." Hermione said hesitating, "Maybe... I mean if they checked out all of her things, and it wasn't on her... Well, what if It's still with - well, you know -" her voice gradually got meeker. Both Harry and Ron stared at her, eyes wide. They frantically got up simultaneously. 

"We have to tell someone -" 

"If it's still with the killer, we can track it! -" 

"- the ministry! Or Dumbledore! He'll believe it-" 

"- has a trace because she's a minor! -" 

"Boys! Boys!" Hermione tried to calm them down, "We should tell Mr. And Mrs. Weasley first - let them decide what to do, it's only fair." 

The boys agitatedly nodded in agreement. And without another word the three of them rushed out into the hallway. 

 

 

Coming out of the stuffy meeting room, Fudge felt nothing other than relief. As much as this whole ordeal is tragic, he was still glad it was all over. Especially when this, for lack of better word, messy situation - was over so neatly. Not that he's not incredibly saddened by the incident and he's so very sorry for the Weasley's lose. 

But. When all is said and done, this was the better outcome. Er, considering the situation, of course. Dumbledore's little subtle comments about the supposed culprit had him worried, paranoid even. The mere thought that You-know-who, You-know-who himself! Back from the dead and behind the murder? Preposterous! 

But now they can all breath easy. You-know-who isn't back - it's proven, Hogwarts is now safe from murderous creatures and they can all move on finally. Making his way to his office the minister greeted various ministry workers. 

"Minister! Minister Fudge!" 

Turning around, Fudge came face to face with Dolores Umbridge. The woman was slightly panting from running to catch up with Fudge. Honestly, Circe bless this woman. He couldn't ask for a more efficient Undersecretary. Though sometimes he wishes she'd go be efficient somewhere else. Preferably in a different room from him. Sometimes she can get a little... Clingy. 

Merlin, he wants a drink.

"Dolores! Please just Cornelius, I've told you." Fudge said graciously.

The woman nodded, "How about that meeting? Awful what happened to that girl."

Fudge sighed, shaking his head, "Terrible tragedy." he added. 

They walked towards the lift in the end of the hall, in silence. The undersecretary seemed to want to say something but she kept deciding against it. In the end her desire won out and she asked:"If I may be so forward?" 

The minister inclined his head slightly, signaling her to continue.

"I believe the ministry should be more involved in the every-day business of Hogwarts"

Fudge glanced at her, inquiring. "The council -"

"More than the council" she dismissed, quickening her pace to keep up with Fudge, "I was thinking an active representative of the ministry, there, to listen to the students or staff when they don't feel like they can approach the headmaster."

They neared the lift. As soon as Fudge pushed the button, a female voice informed them the lift was on the seventh level. Fudge sighed. What wouldn't he give to have a little bit of rum right about now.

" - I've had a few idea, the presentation is on my desk -"

"That's nice, Dolores." Fudge said bemused. The lift's doors opened and out walked Lucius Malfoy. At the sight of the Minister of Magic, the blond froze. He glanced behind Fudge at the auror department than back at Fudge. Plastering a pained smile on his face he greeted the chubby man.

"Minister! What a pleasant surprise."

"The words out of my mouth, Lucius! Words out of my mouth!" Fudge chuckled, "What brings you here?" he asked curiously.

Lucius glanced in the direction of the offices behind Fudge again. "I admit I was hoping to get some more information about the... tragedy. You see Hogwarts is important to me -"

"It is, isn't it?" Fudge asked slowly, staring at Lucius contemplating. Lucius was a great ally. He was competent and held his own, if Fudge could trust someone to do their job properly - it would be Lucius. Not to mention Fudge could always do with more support.  
"Your son goes there right?"

Lucius nodded in confirmation, narrowing his eyes slightly in suspicion.

"So, you are invested in the future of the school..." the Minister mumbled to himself.

"OK!" he exclaimed, "Lucius! Dolores here - you know Dolores, right? She had a brilliant idea. How would you like to be the ministry's representative in Hogwarts?" 

Dolores Umbridge gaped at Fudge. Her mind completely devoid of words. Lucius raised both of his eyebrows incredulously. "I... Would be honored." 

"Good" Fudge said pleased, "I'll inform Dumbledore immediately. Dolores will fill you in on your duties."  
And with those words the Minister entered the lift, leaving the two bewildered figures behind. 

Yes, a glass of rum sounded absolutely wonderful. Red currant, preferably. He glanced at the shocked faces as the doors slide shut.  
Or maybe two, he thought to himself gleefully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> first part: the auror appointed to investigate Ginny's death informs dumbledore and mr and mrs weasley that the death was ruled a suicide. and the weasleys find out that dumbledore thinks the murder was staged to look so by voldermort.
> 
> second part:the weasleys grieve. the golden trio doubts that ginny is responsible to the basilisk attacks and her own death, they also realize her wand is missing and is probably still with the real culprit.  
> thats pretty much it.thanks for reading!


	8. The search begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucius talks to his sister-in-law

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i missed last month cause i went on a vacation and didnt get a lot written (oops) but hey at least im here now?  
> before you go on reading i just want to say that i have never been in jail/visited it and instead of actually doing research i decided - fuck it i'll improvise. so if there is anything odd or inaccurate its probably because it is..  
> anyway i hope you enjoy, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated!

After the mirror incident, the days passed pretty much the same way - with Tom burying himself in research. You could've usually find him cooped up in the library or in his room with only Lucius for company. Not that he was avoiding the rest of the Malfoys - There was no point in talking to the child, as for Narcissa... It was awkward. Immediately after the accident, Narcissa had cornered him in his room. 

 

_"I don't know what Lucius was thinking," she tsked, "but we take care of our guests. And we certainly don't let them walk around all bloodied and bruised."_

_Tom glanced at the blood on his hands "It's fine Mrs. Malfoy, I can handle it."_

_"Narcissa." she sat on the bed and stared at the teen expectingly, "Sit!"_

_Tom sat in a huff. After almost exhausting his magic completely he didn't have the energy to object. Plus, maybe if he obeyed her, she'd leave faster. Mrs. Malfoy grabbed his arm, taking a closer look at the dry blood. She huffed in dissatisfaction and mumbled something under her breath that sounded like " - didn't even think to clean it - ". She took her wand out of her robe, and tapping Tom's hand lightly, said "Tergeo". In an instant any traces of the blood disappeared, leaving behind spotless skin. The two stared at the hand in surprise. There were no gashes, no scars, not even a bruise_

_"That's odd..." she frowned. Before Tom could say anything to alleviate her suspicion, she grabbed hold of his face and repeated the incantation. Just as with his hand, his face was clear of blemishes._

_"As I was going to say before," Tom cleared his throat, "I've already handled it. The scratches were superficial - nothing a small healing charm couldn't fix."_

_The woman studied him for a while in silence as Tom struggled to keep his expression blank. For some reason he was reminded of Dumbledore's see-through gaze._

_"Impressive." she remarked dryly, "Casting a healing spell without a wand is quite the feat."_

_"Is it?" Tom asked in mock innocence, "I hardly noticed."_

_"Right. Have a good day... My lord" with those words and a polite smile, she had left._

_A minute hasn't passed since she left and the teen was already on his feet. Tom had examined himself in the mirror, trying to find even a single scratch, something to explain the blood's origin. There was nothing. His skin completely healed. In the end, Tom had decided it must have been a side affect from being a Horcrux. Which meant he should be more careful about getting injured around other people. He can't have them be suspicious of him, as Narcissa was now._

 

Ever since then she had been watching him like a hawk. He thinks. He hadn't actually caught her but he can't help feeling like he's being watched. He doesn't care for it, makes him feel like he's back in Hogwarts but without any perks. Which is why he preferred staying in his room and library. While Tom was pouring over every book he could find mentioning Horcruxes, curse breaking or his name. Lucius, in the meantime, alternated between adjusting to his new role as a representative and helping Tom with his research. Now that Lucius could come and go in Hogwarts as he liked Ginny's wand wasn't an issue. He could just drop it off the next time he visits the school. Keeping Dumbledore off Tom's tracks - that would be a hardship. Lucius had to make a few contingency plans. 

At the moment, both Tom and Lucius were at the library. The teen was curled up in an armchair with a book twice the size of his head. He was attempting to concentrate on the various types of curse-breakings but his attempts were futile. He fidgeted, annoyed, with the new wand Lucius got him (he couldn't get used to it, it felt odd). Lucius certainly wasn't helping. The blond was pacing across the room mumbling - "Hogwarts... Burgin and Burkes... Riddle manor.... Wool's orphanage..." - like a personal mantra.

Tom scoffed.  
Lucius has been under the impression that the location of the Horcruxes should be their top priority. Which is why he has been making a list of possible places. Tom had argued that finding the Horcrux would mean nothing if they couldn't get past its defences. To which Lucius pointed out (smugly) that knowing how to get through the Horcrux's defences wouldn't help if there were no Horcrux in the first place. Then he pompously went back to composing his list.

Tom had to, reluctantly, admit that Lucius maybe, might have a point. But that didn't matter because they were at a clear disadvantage. Tom had no idea where his adult self had ventured of to and Lucius wasn't exactly privy to Voldemort's every single move (especially in the period before Lucius was born). So, their guesses were limited. Although one thing was certain. No way in hell did he place his Horcruxes in his _father's_ manor or the orphanage. Lucius was wasting his time.

When it seemed like Lucius was going to repeat himself for the eleventh time, Tom blurted : "Tell me about the inner circle."

Lucius paused mid turn. "Why?" he asked before realization crept in, "You think they have the rest of the Horcruxes."

"It makes sense," the teen agreed, balancing the book on the armrest, "They'll be too afraid to question them or lose them. Ideally" he sent Lucius a dry look.

Lucius graciously ignored him, "Well, there were Crabbe, Goyle and Nott" he pondered out loud, "Though, they were mostly for intimidation - hardly reliable.

"Rookwood and Severus could have been probable candidates if they weren't spies at the time. Giving anything valuable to someone who spends a lot of time in the enemy's lap is just asking to be killed." Lucius snorted in a very un-Malfoy-like manner.

Leaning back on a shelf and crossing his arms, Lucius continued:"Crouch and Macnair are too unstable, Avery is unreliable and I'm not even sure you knew Pettigrew's name." 

("That was a very well prepared answer, Lucius." Tom said dryly, "Do you always analyze those in your surroundings?") 

"That leaves Dolohov, Yaxley, the brothers Lestrange" Lucius went on, "and my sister-in-law, _Bella_." he said in disdain. 

Tom tilted his head in curiosity and indicated Lucius to keep going. The blond sighed dramatically before he started talking. 

Like father like son. 

"I wouldn't call her incapable - she's not, which is why I consider her an option," Lucius explained "But I wouldn't necessarily call her stable either. She is more than exceptional at her job. Her job,"he sneered "Usually tends to be torture." 

Tom hummed, deep in thought. "Did I trust her?" 

Lucius hesitated. "To do as she's told, yes" he finally said. After another moment of hesitation he added, "Out of the others, Bela is the easiest to reach. While they're all locked up in Azkaban, she is the one I have direct relations to." 

"So as to not arouse the ministry's suspicion." Tom nodded, "But if she doesn't have it -" 

"Then we worry about that bridge when we cross it" Lucius answered decisively. "Very well, I'll go set up a visit. I'll let you know what I find."

Tom frowned at the blond's words. He has been stuck in this house for long enough, no way will he be staying behind. "I'm coming with you." 

"My lord... I don't think that's wise." 

"I didn't ask for your input, Lucius!", Tom snapped. He doesn't need Lucius to coddle him, just because he broke down a couple of days ago. It was a one-time thing! It won't ever happen again. Tom got up, grabbing the book, his head held up high. "Inform me when we are to leave." he said, striding out of the room. 

 

 

 

Azkaban was a gloomy, dark fortress. The rectangle building loomed menacingly, casting its long reflection on the the ocean surrounding it. Though they left while it was still bright, the sky around the fortress was heavy with pitch-black clouds. There was a distant rumbling sound of thunder, indicating the possibility of rain. It was _May_. (Tom wondered if the sky was bewitched and if so what purpose, other than being dramatic, did it serve). 

The whole thing brought some books to mind, that Tom had read in his childhood (specifically Dracula). He quickly dismissed the thought in disgust. 

"Can you cast the Patronus charm?" Lucius murmured to him.  
They were sitting in a not so small boat heading towards the prison. It was steered by a guard tasked with escorting them to the island. The boat glided smoothly across the dark waters, moving faster than should be possible for a simple wooden vessel. Tom decidedly kept his eyes fixed on the fortress, stubbornly pretending the water wasn't really there. 

"No." 

That was a sore subject. It only spell he couldn't master, not for lack of trying, in defense against the dark arts. It disappointed him immensely, considering DADA was his favorite lesson. 

Lucius sighed. "It shouldn't be necessary. I can cast a decent patronus and so can the guards." he said finally. The rest of the short trip was made in silence. As soon as the boat touched ground, Tom quickly jumped to dry land. Lucius wisely kept his words to himself. 

Their guide yawned and motioned to them to follow him toward the entrance. "When we get in, just register at the visitor center and some'ne will come and getcha." he said, bored by the whole ordeal. "Oh and uh try not to stray away from your guide. Big place, easy to get lost in." The guard led them to a stone staircase and swiftly made his way up. 

After an endless climb (Tom wondered if the stairs were part of the prisoners' punishment. The agonizing climb to a lifetime of imprisonment), they finally ended up in front of the stone entrance. The guard lazily waved his wand in front of the doors causing them to swing open.

"Remember, neutral thoughts" Lucius put his hand on Tom's shoulder as they walked into the building, "Neutral thoughts!" 

Tom shrugged Lucius' hand off his shoulder and glared, "I'm well aware" he hissed. 

The prison's lobby was a wide and surprisingly neat room. You'd think the entirier of the fortress would look as foreboding as the extirier, instead it looked clean and well maintained. The gray marble floors combined with the bare white walls gave the lobby an almost clinical feel.  
The guard pointed them toward the visitor center then promptly made himself scarce. 

"Good day," Lucius said while leaning over the counter, "I've scheduled a visit. With Mrs. Lestrange" 

"Name?" the woman sitting behind the counter asked blandly, barley paying Lucius any attention. 

"Lucius Malfoy." 

She grunted in acknowledgment not even looking up from the magazine she was imerssed in. The quil lying beside her jumped to life and scribbled the name and date on a parchment. The woman lifted her head and quirked an eyebrow at Tom. 

"He's Cygnus Black." Lucius informed the woman. After much thought they had decided to pass Tom as a distant relative. Lucius reckoned the teen resembled a Black well enough - with his dark hair and eyes and pale complexion. Besides no one will check his existence. Probably. (If they did, though, they would find that the latest Cygnus Black was currently celebrating his 13th death's anniversary.) 

The quill wrote the fake name under Lucius' and dropped, lifeless, back to the table. The woman pulled two visitor tags and handed them to Lucius. "Put it on. It can be taken off only by me." She said monotonously, "It's to make sure you, stay you, even when you leave." 

When he put it around his neck, Tom could feel a slight tingle of magic emulated from the badge. He was sure that the tag's purpose included more than what she told them. It was a good thing they forwent the polyjuice potion or major transfigurations. 

"You're not allowed to use your wands other than for a patronus. You're not allowed to give your wand or any sharp tools to the inmates." She began listing the prison's rules without once glancing in their direction. "No walking around unattended. While you're here you'll be watched constantly, so follow the rules and everything will be fine." After finishing her monologue, she searched the visitors for any signs of confusion.

When finding none she said, "Hang on a mo - I'll get someone to guide you." She jotted down something on a sticky note. The note folded itself on it's own into a paper plane and flung itself in the air. It flew past Lucius (who bent his head slightly with a frown so the plane won't collide with his face) and disappeared behind a corner. The woman forwarded them to wait on the chairs in the opposite end of the room and returned to her magazine. 

"Do not engage Bella." Lucius told Tom when they were sitting in wait. "Leave the talking to me. The less she understands the situation the better." 

Tom bristled at the blond. "Do you really believe I can't be subtle?" 

Lucius glanced at the frowning teen. "Not at all." He said palacatingly, "But Bella is a special case. If she realizes this has anything to do, well, with _you_ \- she'll be screaming it at the top of her lungs."

"What about the Lestranges, Yaxley and Dolohov?" Tom asked not even bothering to lower his voice. 

Lucius gave him an startled, acussing look that said 'see what I meant about being subtle?!' Tom rolled his eyes and gastured at the completely empty hall. The blond peered around cautiously. When he deemed the room properly empty he whispered: "I thought we've decided to forget it for now?" 

Tom narrowed his eyes in thought. "You don't think they have it. Do you?" 

"I merely don't think you would place all your... belongings in similar... hiding spots" Lucius explained. "But, if anyone would be entrusted - it would be Bellatrix." He conceded begrudgingly. 

He opened his mouth to add something but he never got the chance. Their conversation was cut short by the approaching guard. The guard was a short stocky man with cropped blond hair, he wore the same white uniform as the other guard. "You ready?" He grunted.

They got up and followed the man down the corridors. The further they got, the lower the temperature dropped. The cold seemed to sip into Tom's bones. He tried to suppress a shiver. One glance at Lucius showed that the man was also affected. His lips tightened and his posture grew tense. Satisfied he wasn't the only one troubled, Tom relaxed a bit. However that quickly came to an end when the guard brought them to a wide waiting room and informed them he'll be bringing the dementors. "You wanted to see Bellatrix Lestrange, right?" He asked before casting a patronus. The charm took the shape of a glowing white monkey. With agility known to its species, the primate climbed up the guard's shoulder.

Tom took a calming breath. He had never encountered a dementor before. He heard and read about them, of course, but meeting one was a completely different story. Barely a minute passed and the guard was back with one of the most horrifying creatures the wizarding world had ever seen. It knocked the air out of Tom's lungs. 

The thing was hovering in the air, covered in a pitch black cloak. A gray skeleton-like hand was the only thing showing from the robe. It seemed to be decaying in front of them. If the hand looked like that, Tom shuddered to imagine it's face. The dementor made a rattling sound as it glided into the room. As soon as it entered, what was left of the heat immediately evaporated, leaving the teen frozen.

The guard approached the wraith-like creature and was clearly telling it something but Tom couldn't hear a word he said - his ears were ringing. He took a step back, light-headed. Losing the feeling in his limbs, he struggled to breathe. The feeling was so reminiscent to his time in the diary, he couldn't help the anxiety bubbling inside him.

The dementor turned towards Tom, as if noticing him for the first time. It let out a rasping sound as it sucked in the air around it. Suddenly there was a flash of green light and sharp pain flooded his system. Lucius' worried face was the last thing Tom saw before he blacked out, the echo of an infant's cry loud in his ears.

 

 

 

" - will be fine, he's not the first one to react this way and he's definitely not the last."

Tom awoke in cold sweat. He was propped up on one of the chairs. Both Lucius and their guide crouching above him. Tom blinked at them owlishly. 

"You alright, son?" The guard asked, "You've blacked out for a bit there. How are you feeling? How many fingers am I holding?" The man raised four fingers and looked at the teen expectingly. 

Did he really get knocked out from just having his happiness absorbed? He could feel his face heating up. First losing control of his magic and now this?! 

Lucius glared at the guard, "Hold on for a second, give him time to answer!"

"... Four"

The men turned their attention back to the teen. "Good, good. What year is it, do you remember?" The guard questioned further. Tom was about to answer before hesitating. 

It definitely wasn't the 40s anymore...what was the year again? 

"He is in shock." Lucius interrupted sharply, saving the teen from answering "He doesn't have a concussion! For Merlin's sake let the boy be!" He stood up gracefully and righted his robes. "I'll go talk to Bella, you will stay here. Alright?" 

Before Tom could protest Lucius added, "I'll even show you the memory - if you insist." 

With a sigh, Tom leaned back into his chair, resigned. He hated to admit it but the thought of not meeting the dementor again was actually a relief. Lucius nodded and turned to leave, a white bird stepped from behind him. Tom blinked at the bird. 

An albino peacock? (Is hallucinations a side effect of encountering dementors?)

"Peacock?" Tom uttered confused. 

"A significant animal for the Malfoy family." Lucius answered immediately, it almost sounded rehearsed, "We have gained our fortune due to peacock trade." He inclined his head toward the patronus in approval. 

"... I thought the Malfoys oversaw the potions industry." 

"We expended."

After a brief silence Lucius cleared his throat, "I'll leave it here just in case. I shall be back shortly." He nodded at the guard to let him know he's ready to go. The man in the white robes coughed a "Right" and rummaged in his pockets as an afterthought. Finding an uneaten chocolate bar, he tossed it to Tom, who caught it uncertainly. "Here. This should help." 

The two man (and the monkey) took off, leaving Tom clutching the chocolate on the cold uncomfortable chair. Only the peacock stayed with him. It walked around the room lazily, opening and closing it's tail. The teen stared at the bird. 

"Who would want to buy peacocks?" He asked it, "And why?!" 

The bird only screeched in reply. 

 

 

 

Bellatrix Lestrange was a classic beautiful woman. With her dark rich curls, long lashes encasing her black eyes and flawless skin - there were no doubt. She was stunning. 

The woman in front of Lucius did not resamble her at all. Her lifeless, full-of-knots hair fell limply on her shoulders. The bags under her eyes combined with her sunken eyes gave the impression of a skeleton. The thin gray skin that stretched across her face only added to her 'dead' look. Lucius was extremely glad a barrier was separating him from Bellatrix. He was seated in one of the many stalls in the visiting area. 

She was brought in, accompanied by a dementor (perhaps the same one from before? Lucius couldn't tell, they all looked the same). She peered wildly across the room before settling on Lucius. Bellatrix narrowed her eyes in suspicion then sat slowly opposite Lucius. 

"Thirteen years without a visitor and when I finally get one, its you" she shot Lucius what she probably thought was a smirk, but looked more like teeth - baring to Lucius. "And where's my darling 'Cissy ? Here to visit her big sister after all these years?" 

"I came here alone."

A flash of disappointment crossed her face. "Oh?" she scoffed, "And why's that? Narcissa is too busy playing _house_?" 

"Narcissa will not disgrace herself and step in this establishment." Lucius said unaffected. 

Bella gasped mockingly and placed a hand on her chest as though in pain. Then she leaned forward, smirking, "And yet, you are here - I guess we know who has dignity in your family, hmm." 

Ignoring the woman Lucius said, "Enough small talk -" 

"Here I was anticipating a nice chat about the weather." 

"- Lately the ministry has been conducting raids. Many supposed death eaters have been busted. It would be a shame" He glanced at the bored guard standing near the door and lowered his voice, "If an artifact, left behind by the dark lord, would end up confiscated." 

Bella folded her arms and tilted her head. She stared at Lucius behind half-lidded eyes. "So, you are here because of a few dark arts busts?" 

At Lucius blank face, she burst out laughing. Lucius, uncomfortable, casted worried glances at the guard who looked ready to leap towards them. When the dementor glided forwards in warning, the blond leaned to the hollering woman. "That's enough Bella!" He hissed. 

Bellatrix slammed her fist on the barrier, her face in a sneer. "Cut the crap Lucius!" She spit out, a crazed glint in her eyes, "Thirteen years! Thirteen years, I've been stuck, rotting, In this place and suddenly now? Now?! The ministry remembers the existence of dark artifacts?" 

Lucius cursed inwardly. He should have known getting simple information out of Bellatrix would be worse than pulling teeth. She just had to suspect he had hidden motive behind everything, didn't she? He had hoped Azkaban had dulled her (already limited) common sense. Unfortunately, this was not the case. He deliberated on the pros and cons of lying to her. In the end he reached a decision. 

"Very well." He sighed in feigned resignation, "There have been... Rumors." Lucius lowered his voice and leaned toward Bella. "Whispers, really, of" He paused as if to capture her attention, "signs- " 

She raised an eyebrow in question.

" - Of His return..."

Bella straightened in her chair, her eyes wide. "You - are you saying He's -"

"Nothing certain!" Lucius hastily corrected, "But there is a possibility - a very real possibility - which means, if He finds out that one of his treasured artifacts ends up with the ministry..."

Bella stared into space in awe. Lucius could only imagine what she was daydreaming about. On second thought, he would rather not.

"Bella, Bella!" He tried to snap her out of it. "If the artifacts ends up in the ministry's hands -"

She snorted. "You really think I would leave it unattended?"

Lucius resisted the urge to smirk. Now, to get her to divulge the location. "Still, " Lucius protested, "it does not matter how protected your property is, there are curs-"

"As if!" Bellatrix screeched, staring incredulously at Lucius, "Storing something so important in my own home? You think me so careless?!" 

Lucius cooly waited for her to continue. He was grateful the guard wasn't paying them any attention. 

"I wouldn't worry about it. It's in the safest place it could be" She chuckled , "It's impossible to break in down there, and besides, no one would be insane enough to want to." She grinned ferally.

"And yet. I think we will all be better off, if you tell me where it is." Lucius insisted, "Even the Fidelius charm can be worked around." 

Bella smirked condescendingly and stood up. "We are done here." She turned to the dementor, that lead her from the room back to her cell. 

Only when she was gone did Lucius allow himself to smile bitterly. Impossible to break into, safe and underground? He had to hand it to Bella was a brilliant choice. 

 

 

 

The waiting room Tom was left in, was more of a big corridor. It had a row of chair on one side - all unoccupied, except the one Tom was sitting on and another that had an abandoned newspaper on it. In the middle of the corridor, bars were installed, splitting the room in two. One side was obviously for visitors the other must have been intended for the prisoner. Tom had seen a woman in prison clothes - most likely Bellatrix - being led by a dementor in the same direction Lucius and the guard went.

That happened a few minutes ago and he had no idea how long it would take for Lucius to interrogate Bellatrix. He looking around for something to occupy his time. The bird was taking a nap in the chair besides him. Not that he could get any entertainment from the bird-shaped spell. His gaze fell on the newspaper. He didn't know if it was recent (he still couldn't remember the date) but he might as well learn more about current events. Having an eleven year old girl as his only source of conversation after decades of isolation, didn't allow him a lot of information about the outside world.

He flipped through the Daily Prophet, occasionally slowing down when something caught his eye. He marveled at the colored photos - back in his time, even though the pictures moved they still were black and white. At a picture of a family, Tom paused. There were six of them, all ginger (although the oldest was balding). There was something familiar about them. He began reading the article.

 

_Arthur Weasley, Father of Ginny Weasley who staged the horrifying attacks in Hogwarts (more at page 7), has won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw. Mr Weasley told the Daily Prophet, "We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank." The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which four of the Weasley children currently attend._

 

Oh, right Ginny's family. They didn't look very happy in the photo, though he supposed a death in the family could sour every vacation. 

He put down the newspaper and huffed. How much longer is Lucius going to take?

The sound of footsteps perked him up. He expected to see Lucius coming back with news about his conversation with Bella. Instead a man with a dementor hovering beside him, made their way from the visiting area. The man was tall with long matted dark hair, waxy skin and a sunken face. Tom thought he looked rather like a walking corpse. When he saw Tom, the man paused. 

"Hey kid!" He barked, "You done with the Prophet?"

Tom blinked at him then the newspaper beside him. He shrugged and cautiously handed the paper through the bars, mindful of the dementor. The man saluted Tom with the Prophet and grinned wolfishly, presenting his yellowing teeth, "Thanks kid". Then he slowly turned to leave the room. Tom had barely a moment to ponder about the man before Lucius returned. 

The blond clapped a hand on Tom's shoulder and led him to the exit. "She had it, I know where it is" He informed lowly so the guard won't hear. Tom looked at him curiously waiting for him to continue.

Lucius sighed. "It won't be easy" he warned, "It's in Gringotts - she's keeping the horcrux in her account!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Azkaban-** i tried to find out how the whole security there works,i found nada so i made all the stuff with visitors and the wizards working there. idk it just made more sense to me that dementors arent the only guards *shrug*.
> 
> **Cygnus Black-** its actually the name of Narcissa,Bella and Andromeda's father but i figured if the Blacks can have 3 Cygnus Blacks in the family they wont mind a fourth.
> 
> **Lucius' patronus-** yes i know that J.K. said that death eaters cant have a patronus. but i call bullshit, if Snape - a death eater -can have one and Umbridge who is an awful human being has one, then i say so can anyone with a happy enough memory. 
> 
> **Patronus-** i wasnt sure if they can make sounds (i.e. hissing/screeching/meowing/other animal sounds), i just went with the movies and decided they can.
> 
> thanks for reading!!


	9. Who's Sirius Black? You don't know?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Narcissa is suspicious, Lucius just wants for something to go his way and Tom didnt sign up to be a babysitter. all in all they manage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and i made it i havent missed a month (technically)!  
> in my defense its my brother's fault - he introduced me to undertale and deltarune and it seriously cut into my writing time.  
> also my beta reader *cough*brother*cough* wasnt available ,so if the chapter seems more messy and confusing than usual then, my bad i'll probably correct it when he gets the chance to review it.  
> kudos and criticism are always appreciated!  
> enjoy!

The sound of flattering wings filled the air as yet another owl landed on the work-table. Lucius sighed and made no attempt to salvage the parchment, currently being demolished under the bird's claws. Instead he carefully untied the string around the owl's leg, reliving it of it's load. When the owl was free of the letter it was carrying, it hooted self-importantly and took off.

Lucius unrolled the parchment anxiously. He was waiting for this letter for quite some time now, he threw all his hopes in it - he was running out of options.

 _Dear Mister Malfoy,_  
_Upon viewing your request : making a withdrawal from Mrs. Lestrange's vault, we regret to announce - your request has been denied. On grounds of -_

Lucius groaned and threw the letter away in disgust. For the past week he has been attempting to get inside Bellatrix's vault in Gringotts. From speaking to high officials to requesting Gringotts directly - Lucius tried everything short of bribing the goblin clerk at the bank itself. Not that bribing would work (unless Lucius was offering the sword of Griffyndor, for example) - goblins are greedy creatures.

Lucius rubbed his temples. He was felling the headache that had been threatening to break out all evening.

"Are you planning on sleeping today, dear?" Narcissa approached him and laid her hands on his shoulders.

Lucius half turned to look at her and smiled tiredly. "I'm almost done," He took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "I'll join you in a minute - I just have to finish this." he indicated on the ruined parcel on his work desk.

Narcissa hummed and wandlessly cast a simple repairing spell. "Does this have to do with Gringotts? You have been preoccupied with it lately" she enquired.

"This? No that is Hogwarts related, actually." Lucius turned to her and shook his head, "With Gringotts, though - I think I've reached a dead end" he admitted.

Narcissa frowned in thought. "Perhaps I should try" she offered, "Bella is my sister, maybe if talked to some of my contacts -"

"No" Lucius refused, "I would feel better if you were not involved."

"What are you looking for anyway?"

Lucius sighed, "As a matter a fact, I have no idea. But it is important."

"To the Dark Lord..." Narcissa nodded, tight-lipped. "Remind me, how did you come across him?"

Lucius closed his eyes and rubbed his temples again. Narcissa has been making her doubts about young Riddle clear ever since he arrived. As much as he wanted to tell her, he couldn't make that call without Tom's approval. The horcrux had already made a few veiled threats to put Lucius on the, soon returning, Lord Voldemort's bad side if he did not cooperate with the boy. Lucius would much rather not provide Riddle a reason to do so.

Taking both her hands, Lucius lightly squeezed them in reassurance. "It really is him, Cissa. Trust me - I know what I'm doing."

When she finally nodded, Lucius added, "But still, I don't want you or Draco involved. Just in case, alright?"

Narcissa huffed unhappily but instead of pursuing the subject, she change topics. "Speaking of Dragon," she said, "Most of the guests have RSVPed. The Zabinis are waiting for the last minute, as usual, and Mr. Scrimgeour had passed his apologies - he can't come." She informed her husband, "Apparently my cousin's timely escape keeps the aurors working overtime.

"Other than that, everything seems in order." She narrowed her eyes in thought, "Have you bought an outfit for the party yet?" 

Her husband shot her a guilty look that she had long since learned to interpret as 'I've completely forgotten and can't come up with a good excuse'. 

"We'll go sometime this week." Narcissa sighed fondly, "Preferably before Draco's birthday." She quirked her eyebrow pointedly. 

"Tomorrow."

"Good." Narcissa cupped his face and tenderly pressed a kiss on his forehead, "Don't stay up too late." 

Promising to join her soon, Lucius went back to the parchment on his table. 

 

 

 

Tom was reading a most interesting passage about purification rituals. These kinds of rituals were adopted to many cultures such as Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and many more (even Christian exorcisms are based on those rituals). Most of them were focused on cleansing the body rather than purifying objects, but the general idea was the same. The practicers used spells and sometimes potions to nullify the dark magics contaminating the object (or person in most cases). 

Tom hummed thoughtfully to himself. Horcruxes were items submerged in dark magic. The magic necessary for attaching the soul piece to the object and as a layer of defence. If the book was correct, in theory, the ritual should weaken the bond between the soul and the magic, making it easier to reach the soul. He flipped the page, looking forward to reading how the rituals were performed, when a knock on his door interrupted him. 

The teen sat up and pushed the book behind him. "Come in." 

Narcissa Malfoy stepped into the room. Her flowing bottle green dress seemed too refined for casual wear. Tom wondered if she was going somewhere. 

"Forgive my interruption, my lord." She said, "I've just meant to inform you - Lucius and I will be out running a few errands and we won't be back until late this evening." 

The teen stared at Narcissa blankly. What did that have to do with him? 

"Consequently, dinner won't be served today." she continued, "The elves will be more than happy to make you something to eat whenever you ask." 

Tom nodded in acknowledgment, dismissing her. But the woman stayed, hovering in the doorway. At Tom's questioning look, Narcissa sent him a ghost of a smile. 

"Lucius will also be attending a meeting with the head director of Gringotts." She said casually, smoothing out her dress. "He wanted you to know that." 

He could've always told Tom himself, the teen thought disgruntled. Tom impatiently waited for her to continue. He was beginning to realize that every single Malfoy had a penchant for theatrics. 

"Seeing as we will be busy this afternoon and the elves are busy lately preparing for Draco's birthday party - I'm afraid I must ask you a favor." 

Ah, so this is why Lucius wasn't here, hiding behind his wife's robes. 

"A couple of Draco's friends will be coming over," She elaborated, "And in case they decide to go to the Quidditch fields (which they most definitely will), they'll need a chaperon." 

"Lucius could have done it," Narcissa said offhandedly, "If he wasn't, meeting the director of Gringotts, of course." 

Tom huffed, she wasn't even trying to hide her attempt at manipulation. And her knowing look told him she was well aware he saw through it. 

"Aren't they old enough to look after themselves?"

"I would rather they don't," She gave him a tight-lipped smile, "Especially nowadays."

"I would be delighted" Tom gritted out. He supposed he could only benefit from not antagonizing Mrs. Malfoy. Besides, there was a possibility the children won't go flying.

"Thank you, my lord." Narcissa said graciously, inclining her head slightly. She set off to the door her dress swooshing behind her.

"Oh," She paused and turned in her tracks, "I've also wanted to inform you that in two days, on Draco's birthday, we - Lucius, Draco and I - will be gone for the whole duration of the day to celebrate. The house elves will not wake you for breakfast, unless you wish them to. You should let them know ahead of time. "

"I thought you were celebrating his birthday in three days?" He frowned, "Isn't that the point of the gala?"

For the past month the Malfoys have been preoccupied with planning the birthday celebrations of the Malfoy heir. From what Tom saw, it was supposed to be a huge invite-only gala. Only the people of importance were attending. As the date neared their efforts doubled, the house elves cleaned and decorated the ballroom (and the rest of the manor) non-stop. 

"The party is merely for political reasons," She waved her hand in dismissal, "The real celebration will be more personal, on June the 5th. 

"At the countryside where Draco first exhibited magic," Narcissa divulged proudly, "We, obviously, go there every year."

Her phrasing piqued his curiosity. "Is that a pureblood tradition?" 

Narcissa seemed puzzled. "I'm not sure," She said thoughtfully, "Every wizard and witch I know do that. Why? What did you do on your birthday?" She asked interested. 

Tom's thoughts were suddenly assaulted by memories of reluctant, off-key singing children, a sponge cake that was more sponge than cake and a few ha'pennys as a birthday gift. 

"Not much." 

"Well, like I said, most mages visit the cites of their first accidental magic." Narcissa said, "I suppose it's symbolic, in a way - celebrating your birth where your magic was first formed. Have you never felt inclined to go there?"

A wave of nostalgia hit Tom as the young lord remembered that one cave in the seaside. He had some fond memories from that cave (can't say the same for the other kids in the orphanage).

"As a matter of fact, I have." He recalled wistfully, "It happened in a small town near the sea. I found it accidentally when my magic saved me from almost drowning."

When he was young, the matron had taken all the children to a nearby town, as a mandatory visit, to get a bit of fresh seaside air. He doesn't remember why he had wandered off that day, but he had. He had gotten to some cliffs at the edge of the sea - one minute he was standing on top of the rocks and the next - he was falling.  
Fear had pierced his heart as he hit the water and began sinking. Fortunately, a force (which he later learned was magic) had pushed him out of the water and into a cave he hadn't noticed before. A good portion of the next few hours he had spent just learning to hover. (The matron wasn't thrilled when he finally returned, after a whole afternoon of absence, with his clothes completely soaking wet.) 

It was a traumatic event that quickly turned into the best day of his life, with the discovery of magic. (Of course, he still couldn't stand being near water, but for the sake of the cave he tolerates it.) Ever since, he has been going there when he wished to push the boundaries of his magic. 

Narcissa raised her eyebrows at the unorthodox story, "I see."

"I've been there quite frequently," Tom mused, "I suppose it was an important place for me..." he trailed off.

About a million thoughts swirled in his mind. Can that really be it? Did his future self really hid one of his Horcrux in the cave? If so there will be defence spells and traps and who knows what else. He has to prepare! he needs to get there, he needs to check it - 

\- And Narcissa was staring at him while he was spacing out. 

"What about you? Where did you first preform magic?" He asked her, trying to draw her attention away from the awkward silence. 

"Nowhere as exciting as you." She smiled, "Just in a tiny café in France - exploded my ice-cream bowl." 

She bid him a good afternoon and made her way out. 

 

 

 

Against all his hopes, not even an hour after Narcissa had left, Tom found himself heading towards the Quidditch pitch. He clutched the book of rituals to his chest, exasperatedly following a house elf outside. Why did children feel the need to play that bloody game, didn't they have anything better to do?

When Tom stepped out of the manor, he saw a group of young teens carrying broomsticks, apparently arguing.

"I don't see why we can't be on the same team." an abnormally tall broad shouldered kid complained sullenly. His long arms seemed odd compared to the rest of his body. He ran his hand through his shortly cropped hair in frustration.

"Because, Greg, It won't be fair!- " the only girl in the group exclaimed. She had beige colored skin and wore her black hair in a neat bob-cut. Her nose was a bit squashed, as though she had accidentally walked into wall. She was small, almost petite, but something about her tone and her harsh eyes said she wasn't afraid of confrontation. "Besides both you and Vince want to be beaters" she pointed out, "And there can't be two beaters in a team of three!"

The first boy - Greg, crossed his hands with a scowl. The equally huge boy next to him, frowned and grumbled something under his flat nose. He had black eyes, that seemed too small and out of place on his round face and a bowl-cut that did nothing to hide his large forehead. 

Malfoy rolled his eyes, "I don't see why we need beaters in the first place - we're only six. Two should be chasers and one should be a keeper."

This sparked a round of arguments. Tom took a big breath - it was going to be a long day. During the fight, a pasty lanky boy with light brown hair spotted Tom approaching. He looked somewhat fragile, like a single gust of wind would topple him. He elbowed the girl ("What the hell, Nott?") and nodded at the stranger. The girl went quiet and studied Tom intently.

"Draco?" She turned to the Malfoy heir, "Who is that?"

The rest of the kids glanced in Tom's direction. Malfoy paled visibly and tensed up. 'That', who finally reached them, could hear every word they said and attempted to refrain from hexing the girl. Instead Tom dismissed the house elf, who disappear back to doing Merlin-knows-what. Probably preparing Malfoy's birthday party. 

"Tom Riddle.. Is our guest" Malfoy said hesitantly, managing to phrase the introduction more as a question than a statement. At Tom's blank expression he continued, "And they are Blaise Zabini - " 

A dark-skinned boy lazily waved his hand. He was tall for his age (though not as tall as the two mountains, Greg and the other one, besides him) and had a slender build. His brown eyes were half-lidded as if to indicate his boredom. 

"Theodore Nott -" 

Nott nodded slightly in greeting. 

"Pansy Parkinson -" 

She sent an unimpressed look. 

"Vincent Crabbe -" 

Other than a grunt, the bowl-cut mountain, 'Vince', hadn't uttered a thing. 

"And Gregory Goyle." 

Goyle, who had yet to change his position, just stood with his arms crossed, staring vacantly at Tom. 

"Is he accompanying us?" Zabini asked. 

"Yes, _he_ is" Tom said dryly, "Shall we." he snarled at the kids and marched on to the field, not waiting for them to catch up.

"Why do we even need a chaperon?" Zabini drawled. His attempt at nonchalance failed as he rushed to keep up with the older teen. Tom ignored him.

"Isn't that obvious, Blaise?" Nott said.

"Ugh, of course." the girl groaned, "Sirius Black."

All kids sighed, exasperated. Tom frowned in confusion. He halted abruptly and turned to face the children. "Who?" 

"What?" Blaise yelped as he barely stopped himself from colliding with Tom. 

The kids were looking at him with varied expressions of shock. Nott gaped at the older teen, Parkinson shriek 'Who is Sirius Black?!', even Crabbe and Goyle exchanged incredulous glances. 

Malfoy scrunched his nose in confusion, "You - you really don't know who he is?" 

Tom frown. The exaggerated reactions obviously meant that 'Black' - whoever that is - was well known and important. Malfoy's tone, on the other hand, had made it seem as though Black's importance was personal. Yet Tom had never heard of him before. Tom stopped himself from sighing deeply. He can see the missing decades being his downfall, one day. 

"Uh Sirius Black - the dark lord's second in command?" Zabini said, "The most high profile prisoner in Azkaban? That coincidentally, escaped a week ago?" 

Voldemort's second in command? What? Why was Tom not informed? What if Black has his Horcruxes? He'd definitely speak with Lucius about it. 

"Supposedly, his second in command." Malfoy corrected nervously, "No one really knows if he is." 

"Seriously, Draco?" Nott raised his eyebrow. He turned to Tom, "It's well known he is the dark lord's supporter - he betrayed the Potters to the dark lord after all." 

Crabbe and Goyle nodded in agreement. Tom narrowed his eyes. If it was so well known, why haven't Ginny or Lucius brought it to his attention? 

"Start from the beginning!" Tom ordered impatiently. Malfoy winced and quickly opened his mouth to answer. 

"It happened about eleven years ago give or take, " Parkinson preceded Malfoy, "When the dark lord searched for the Potters. I'm not sure why he couldn't find them otherwise but -" 

"Because of the the Fidelious charm, Pans!" Zabini rolled his eyes, "Salazar, don't you know anything?" 

" - Sirius Black, who used to be best friend with the Potters," Parkinson pulled a face at Zabini who stuck his tongue out in response, "betrayed their location to the dark lord. And when He was vanquished (Malfoy cringed and anxiously glanced at Tom), Black went mad." 

"They say he went on a rampage, planned to get rid of all Dumbledore's allies." Nott continued where Parkinson left off, "But all he managed was to kill some muggles before he got arrested."

"Twelve." Goyle grunted. 

"And a wizard - Pettigrew," Crabbe added, "All that was left was a finger." 

Tom tilted his head at the name. Pettigrew was dead? Killed by, apparently, Voldemort's second in command. Why were his followers killing each other? It made no sense. 

"And now, he has escaped." Nott concluded. "Probably to finish what he started." 

"Then why be wary of him?" Tom asked, "If he was a death eater?" 

"Firstly, our parents were proven, by law, to be innocent." Zabini replied flatly. 

There was a beat.  
Malfoy coughed. Tom smirked knowingly. 

"Secondly," Zabini said, ignoring them, "Well, Black is bonkers, isn't he? Do you know what he did while he was being arrested?" 

"Enlighten me." 

"He laughed. After blowing up a street full of people and someone who used to be his friend, while being dragged by aurors to Azkaban - he was laughing all the way." 

"No one would ever trust Black," Parkinson said, "Doesn't matter what side he's on. Betraying your best friends and getting them killed? Now that is just..." she shook her head in disgust. 

" _Gryffindors_ " Goyle spat. 

"Not a loyal bone in their body." Crabbe agreed. 

"And that is the whole story. Or at least what everyone says, no one really knows what happened" Malfoy intervened before the conversation could turn into a discussion about Gryffindors' characteristics. "Now, shall we actually play or will we stand around all evening telling tales?" 

At that all the kids started to enthusiastically move toward the Quidditch pitch, Tom slowly trailing behind them. 

On one hand, Lucius hadn't counted Black among Voldemort's inner-circle which meant the story could be inaccurate. In that case Black wasn't relevant and other than to satisfy his curiosity about the odd story, Tom wouldn't try to find out more about him. On the other hand, if the story was true, Lucius would have to explain exactly why he had kept it from Tom. Because if Black really was going after Voldemort's enemies then Harry Potter would definitely be one of his targets. And Tom would hate if Potter got killed before they had a proper chat. 

When they reached the Quidditch pitch, the children resumed their bickering from before. Finally they reached an agreement and were about to take to the sky. 

"Oi, Riddle!" Zabini called out to Tom before mounting his broom, "Would you be our referee?" 

Tom tilted his head, as though in consideration. 

"No." he said and flopped unceremoniously under a nearby tree, opening his book, content on ignoring the children. 

 

 

 

When evening came, Narcissa stood some distance away from the field watching the playing kids. She couldn't say she was happy with the children staying out that late (what with her cousin running around) but she wasn't exactly surprised. She glanced at their supposed supervisor. The older boy was sitting crossed legs completely immersed in the book he was reading. It would be endearing if he wasn't supposed to keep an eye out on her son and his friends. Narcissa silently approached the reading teen. She gently laid a hand on his shoulder, startling him. Tom raised his head Impassively, pretending he wasn't effected. Narcissa let him. 

"I hope the children were no trouble?" she asked. 

He looked at her then in the direction of the kids, as though he had just now noticed them. "No trouble at all." 

Narcissa resisted a sigh. "Have any of you eaten?" 

"No." 

She nodded in acknowledgment then turned to the children. 

"Kids! Time for supper." she called out to them. At their protests and complaints, she added sternly: "Do not make me repeat myself, down now!" 

As the kids were taking their time lowering their brooms to the ground, Tom stood up and made to leave. 

"Oh, my husband is in the parlour, " Narcissa stopped him, "You wouldn't mind joining him for a bit?" 

 

 

 

"Have you finished whatever you needed?" Tom asked rather detachedly as he entered the parlour. 

Lucius turned to him, a bottle of wine in hand. He was standing in the middle of the room near a wooden coffee table, surrounded by armchairs. There were two glasses on the table. "Mostly," he indicated at the armchairs, signaling Tom to sit. "As much as I could, at the very least." Lucius raised the bottle a bit, "May I offer you a glass?" 

"No, thank you." Tom refused politely and chose the chair facing the entrance. 

"Are you sure?" Lucius asked. He tapped the bottle with his cane, uncorking it. "It's Superior Red, 1940. Great year." 

"Wasn't really," Tom said, thinking back. "I am sure. I'm not a fan of drinking or the consequences." 

As a teenager, in Slytherin house no less, Tom had seen his fair share of drunkards. He had no intention of joining their ranks. 

Lucius tilted his head, pouring himself a generous glass of wine. With a wave of his hand, the second glass disappeared. He took a seat facing Tom. "How was your day? the kids didn't take too much of your time, did they?" 

"It was no trouble." Tom replied, "If anything, my day was quite informative." 

"Better than mine, then." The blond sighed. He raised his glass as if preparing for a toast before taking a sip. "As you may know, I had a meeting with the head director. It didn't lead anywhere, unfortunately." 

"Are you certain Bellatrix meant Gringotts?" Tom asked. 

"You saw the memory." Lucius replied. 

"Answer the question." 

Lucius set his glass on the coffee table, taking his time with answering the question. He leaned toward the young lord, "If I were to say, that I have hidden something in the safest, most guarded place in the Wizarding World, where would you guess it was?"

"Gringotts," Tom answered without hesitation, "But it could also be Hogwarts."

"And if I were to imply, it was kept underground?"

"...Fine."

Lucius leaned back and waved his hand in a 'see what I mean' kind of way.

"So, there is no legal way to get to the vault." Tom trailed off, he traced his wand absentmindedly.

Lucius side-eyed the teen suspiciously. "What exactly are you proposing?"

"Lucius, has there been any attempts of robbery at Gringotts in the past years?" Tom wondered out loud, "Back in my time it was considered an act of insanity - "

"It most definitely still is!"

"- But times have changed and magic has progressed. It can't be as unlikely as it once has been,can it?"

Lucius sighed and reached for the glass. He gulped down the rest of the wine so fast Tom was almost impressed.

"It's true that there were attempts but none of them succeeded," Lucius said, "Even in the last one - a year ago - the perpetrators achieved nothing. The vault they broke into was empty, they got away empty-handed." 

Tom's eyes widened in excitement. "But they managed to break in and get away, right? So it is possible!" 

"Well," Lucius admitted reluctantly "I suppose. It was still pointless, though!" 

"Our situation is different from theirs" Tom said dismissively, "We know that the Horcrux is in the vault and the only person who can deposit it, is behind bars." 

"Besides," Tom added seriously, "they didn't have me. If I were involved, it would have gone smoothly." 

Lucius bit his lip to stop himself from smiling. It was amusing how childish and arrogant, the same confidence the Dark Lord possessed seemed when projected by the teenage version of said lord.

"Very well," Lucius indulged him, "what do you have in mind?" 

"I can't come up with a plan in an instant!" the teen yelped, "Give me time." 

Lucius watched Tom sink into his own thoughts for a bit. A few minutes passed and the young lord showed no signs of speaking any time soon. Having nothing to do Lucius contented himself with pouring another glass. He was about to take a sip when the door to the parlour opened and Narcissa entered.

"Cissa?" Lucius asked concerned, "Is something wrong?" 

She closed the door behind her. "I am beginning to grow tired," She said quietly, "of being treated like a fool, in my own home." Drawing her wand Narcissa strode towards Tom, aiming her wand at his face. 

Lucius jumped out of his seat, hastily putting down the glass. "Narcissa! What in Salazar's name -?!" 

Tom tilted his head in curiosity. He wasn't surprised at this turn of events. Narcissa hadn't exactly hidden her passive aggressive hostility. As inconvenient as it was, Tom had to admit he was curious to see what she will do when pushed. 

"Now I would like to know, who are you?! And don't -!" She said sharply, "tell me he is the Dark Lord again, Lucius!"

"It is all very convenient for you," Narcissa uttered, "that even though you claim to be the Dark Lord, the only memories you have are ones that can't be confirmed!"

"And what," Tom nudged her wand away from his face, "Would I achieve by impersonating him?" He rose up to his full height, which would be much more impressive had he and Narcissa not been of the same height.

"Lucius' cooperation." Narcissa answered without hesitation. 

"What for?" 

Lucius worriedly glanced between his wife and the teen. He wasn't sure what to do - shield Narcissa from Tom's inevitable retaliation or Tom to, hopefully, pacify him and prevent any of them from getting hurt from the boy's temper. 

"What for?" Narcissa repeated. With her wand still aimed at Tom, she stepped to the window. Opening it, she waved her wand pronouncing "Accio books". A row of books flew through the window and filed themselves on the coffee table. Tom narrowed his eyes at the volumes when he recognized they all came from his room. 

"All these book are concerned with Horcruxes, breaking curses and the Dark Lord's history." Narcissa said laying a hand on the books. 

Tom glared at her. Those books were his! Sure, she was the original owner, but they were currently in his possession - in his room! What right did she have sifting through his room? 

"The only conclusion I can reach is that you are trying to destroy the Dark Lord and his Horcruxes!" Narcissa accused, Lucius gaped at his wife dumbfounded. "Who sent you? Was it Dumbledore? The Order? Did you force my husband to play along?" 

"No! Narcissa, my love, it isn't like that at all" Lucius, who finally found his voice, said, "No one here was send by Dumbledore. This is all a misunderstanding, the situation is, in the fact, the opposite of what you think -"

"Then why the lies, Lucius? The secrets?" she snarled, "and now what? Breaking into Gringotts?"

"You were eavesdropping?!" Lucius asked her aghast, "Cissa!"

"Oh don't be so shocked, Lucius -"

Tom, who hadn't been paying attention up until this point, had been casting discontent looks at the books on the table. This whole mess with Narcissa won't be resolved with lying to her again. Telling the truth could have irking repercussions but right at that moment, all Tom wanted was to return his possessions back to their place, starting with his books. Making a snap decision Tom announced: "I'm a Horcrux."

There was a beat.

"What?!" Narcissa and Lucius stared at the teen in surprise, albeit for different reasons. 

Tom hummed in confirmation without explaining. Casting an extension charm on the inner pocket of his robe, he began nonchalantly storing the books into his pocket. 

"I'm not sure I follow." Narcissa confessed, her wand lowering. 

"It's simple really," Tom said, "I am a manifestation of the soul in one of Voldemort's Horcruxes." Having finished packing the books, he turned to Narcissa. "As for why I'm collecting the Horcrux? It's well within my right, isn't it? Besides, I don't want to destroy them" Tom scoffed, "I want to absorb it, all of it." 

"I'm sorry?" 

"The soul, my soul" Tom clarified, "Would you say you are satisfied with the outcome of your Dark Lord's plans?" He asked, changing the subject. 

Startled by the question Narcissa looked at her husband, who just pursed his lips. Without answering she focused on the floor avoiding looking at Tom. Her silence was enough of an answer. Tom smirked. 

"That is exactly why I want to gather my soul together," He told her, "I believe, that the continued splitting of his soul may have resulted in the loss of... rationality. Hypothetically returning the soul to it's whole state should reverse the effects of the Horcrux's making." 

"So you want to..." Narcissa asked hesitantly, "return the Dark Lord to his original state?" 

"No!" Tom snapped, his eyes flashing with a red glint. "I will not render power to that witless husk!" 

Both of the Malfoys stepped away from the agitated teen. Tom took a few calming breathes. "No, if anyone gets the soul, it'll be me. **He** had already made enough mistakes as it is. I mean, look at the war - was that what you really wanted?" he asked, his voice turning gentle, "Wizardkind fighting each other? Killing young witches and wizards? That was not my goal." 

To be perfectly honest, the thought of disposing of fellow wizards didn't faze him that much. He had already done so out of necessity, and if it was needed he would do so again. But Narcissa seemed to him an idealist, who was more interested in the goals and ideas and who shied away from the dirty work. Tom, on the other hand, was practical and knew that to achieve the perfect world for wizards to live in they will have commit some atrocities. Best to keep it from Mrs. Malfoy, though, if he wanted her on his side. And judging by the expression on her face, it was working. 

"How do I know that you are him?" Narcissa asked hoarsely. Her wand long since pointing at the floor. 

Tom considered a few options. He could show her the way he did to Lucius, but he had a feeling she wouldn't be so easily convinced. 

"Let me show you." he said locking eyes with her and drawing her into his mind. 

Narcissa grabbed the back of an armchair to regain her footing as a flurry of pictures flooded her. Carefully picked memories of the young lord played through her mind. Tom chose to show her some of the first 'death eaters' meetings, how they came up with his title and added creating the only Horcrux he knew about (he made sure to not show her the diary and to skip what's-her-name's death, Mary? Miriam? Molly? Something like that). When Tom felt Narcissa had seen enough, he severed the link between the two of them. 

Narcissa stood silently for a minute, processing what she saw, before slowing sitting down in the armchair. "You really are the Dark Lord..." she whispered in awe, "A younger version of the Dark Lord." Lucius wordlessly handed her the glass of wine he had left on the table. She accepted in a daze and drank a small portion. 

"If that is all," Tom said, "I'll be in my room - I've a robbery to plan. By the way, Lucius, how important is it for you to be present during the entirety of your son's birthday party?" 

"I - what?" 

Tom waved him off, "Never mind, we will speak of that later." He began to leave the room when he remembered the talk he had with the children that afternoon. 

"Oh, I have been meaning to ask," he turned to Lucius, "Who is Sirius Black?" 

Narcissa, who just snapped out of her stupor, was the one to answer. "My cousin. Up until recently he was a prisoner in Azkaban. He was the Potters' friend and when they died he was blamed for betraying them." 

"Did he?" 

"Sirius?" she raised an eyebrow, "No, my cousin was a member of the Order and a Dumbledore man through and through. He'd never be on our side." 

"Then who did betray them?" Tom asked in curiosity. 

"Peter Pettigrew." Lucius interjected. 

"The murdered one? That the only thing left of him was a finger?" 

"Yes," Narcissa agreed, "Pettigrew was also the Potter's friend which made spying for you easier. But Sirius would never betray his friends this way or hurt the Potter boy." 

Tom hummed in consideration. "So he is irrelevant." 

"Unless he decides to take revenge against you and your followers instead of just hiding behind Dumbledore." Narcissa suggested, "I wouldn't put it past him, he and James Potter were close." 

Lucius shook his head, "He'll never manage it - the dementors are good at their jobs - he'll be back behind bars in no time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god i think most of this fic is just dialog and i dont know how to change it ,i suck at action scenes :/  
> anyways so last chapter i was ,for some reason under the impression that Draco's birthday was in july? so i messed up the months. when i finally realized i messed up the dates i changed it so the last chapter happened in may and this chapter in june.  
> if anyone finds more mistakes id really appreciate if you point it out.  
> next up Gringotts!


	10. Now you see me now you don't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Insert mission impossible theme here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made it in the nick of time again :D  
> this chapter jumps between the past and the present a lot so the flashbacs are written in italics  
> Hope you enjoy! Kudos and comments are appreciated

The house elves have outdone themselves with the decorations. The Manor was scrubbed spotless, not even the nosiest witch could find a spot of dust (Just you try, Mrs. Greengrass). The enchanted instruments were playing without a hitch (an orchestral version of a certain Madame Bletchley's song that Narcissa was particularly fond of). The food was phenomenal as always. And the guests were arriving as expected - half an hour late.  
Everything was perfect.

And yet Narcissa was searching for a flaw, any flaw in the party that could take her mind of what was about to happen.

She smoothed out her dress, a floor-length gown, it's light lavender hue matching her husband's tie. Speaking of her husband, she looked at the other side of the room. Lucius, in quite dashing charcoal grey robes if you do ask Narcissa, was socializing and charming every single attendee as per plan. Oh merlin, the plan! 

"Champagne, mistress?" one of their numerous house elves piped up, raising up a tray of champagne glasses. 

"Yes, thank you." Narcissa accepted the glass taking a small sip. She was adamant on only having one glass this evening. Enough to have a little bit of alcohol surging in her veins yet far (too far) from actually getting drunk. It wouldn't do for a respectful witch - a Black and a Malfoy by marriage - to be inebriated. Never mind how much she wanted to. 

Narcissa turned her attention back to Lucius. Her husband was currently juggling a conversation with three ministry officials. Making sure that as many people as possible could place him at the gala, securing his alibi. She tightened her grip on the glass. Three days to formulate a plan to break into the most secure building in the Wizarding World, wasn't enough! Couldn't be enough, in Narcissa's opinion. But Riddle was young, arrogant and oh so eager, and Lucius had already made up his mind. Nothing Narcissa could say would deter them from trying.

Finishing her drink, Narcissa glanced sadly at her far-too-early empty glass. At least two of the officials were slightly intoxicated and the third seemed to be catching up, judging by the enthusiastic way he gulped his drink. Narcissa sighed and returned her glass to the tray. Making a quick decision, she grabbed a second glass of bubbling beverage. Why not? After all it was a special occasion.

Fixing a polite smile on her face, Narcissa went to join her husband. Kick-starting the second phase of the plan.

 

 

_A day before the party, Tom, Narcissa and Lucius had gathered in the parlour. Once again the teen had claimed the seat viewing the doorway, leaving the Malfoy couple to sit facing Tom._

_"You have come up with a plan?" Lucius asked when they were all settled._

_"A rough outline." Tom admitted unhappily, "The lack of blueprints didn't help."_

_"Well, getting them at this point wouldn't be suspicious at all." Lucius deadpanned._

_Tom rolled his eyes. "Since I don't know the layout of the bank and trying to figure out where the vault is, in such a short period of time - is improbable" he said, absentmindedly picking at his sleeve, "the best solution will be to have the goblins lead me to it."_

_"How?" Narcissa inquired._

_"There a few opinions..." Tom replied. Noticing what he was doing, Tom stopped fidgeting with his sleeves. He frowned slightly at his hands. That habit has to go. "Imperius?"_

_Lucius shook his head. "Not with the trace on the curse, the Ministry will be there in seconds."_

_"They put a trace on the Imperius curse?" Tom asked incredulously. Yes, it was one of the Unforgivables but the fact that aurors were using it for quick confessions, was a well known close-guarded secret. Tom wondered what made the aurors give up on their advantage. "Never mind, the Confundus Charm should work just as well. But I am getting ahead of myself."_

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_He turned to Lucius, "During the gala, you'll have to get as many people as you can to know you were there." Tom began explaining, "We don't have time to come up with ways to disguise you, not to mention I'm not up to date on the security measures, so we have to keep it simple - make everyone think you were framed."_

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_"It could work..." Lucius agreed thoughtfully, "All those ministry officials as witnesses."_

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_Tom nodded, "Exactly. And after Lucius makes his presence known, whenever you feel it's time, you'll need to create an excuse for Lucius' absence." he told Narcissa._

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_"Like what?" Lucius asked._

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_"We don't have time to deal with small details - the heist is tomorrow." Tom said sullenly, "She will come up with something, right?"_

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_Narcissa agreed reluctantly._

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_"When you leave, Lucius, apperate straight to Gringotts." Tom continued, "I'll wait there for you -"_

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_"Hold on." Lucius frowned, "why do you need to get there beforehand?"_

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_"The less we are seen together, the better."_

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_"Very well, so you apperate to Gringotts before me and then -"_

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_"Actually, I can't." Tom admitted. He scratched at a spot on the armrest, that could've been a crack or maybe dirt._

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_"What?"_

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_"I was supposed to be taught in sixth year" He elaborated. "I haven't finished my fifth." It was a crack all along._

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_"Then how have you gotten here?" Narcissa asked concerned._

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_"Knightbus."_

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_"Oh dear," Narcissa faintly raise a hand to her chest, "isn't it absolutely dreadful?" she asked curious despite herself._

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_Before Tom could answer, Lucius cleared his throat. "How do you plan to get to Gringotts? Floo?"_

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_"It's not inconspicuous enough, is it?" Tom mused, "The floo system can be traced, no? Or did that change too?"_

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_"Broom, then?" Narcissa suggested._

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_"Who flies on brooms nowadays, other than for sport?" Lucius asked exasperated and leaned backwards._

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_"I'm also not a fan of that mode of transportation." Tom added. Why would he fly on a broom when he could do it without? It was less restricting that way. "I could always take the bus, it's not a problem - not something we were supposed to discuss."_

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_"Fine, so when you're there -" Lucius attempted to clarify again. He was interrupted by his wife's exclamation "Lucius!"_

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_"What?"_

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_"Aren't you going to give him some money?" she demanded to know, "How is he supposed to pay fare? How much is it, a galleon? Give him some galleons!"_

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_"I can pay for my ticket, Mrs. Malfoy, thank you." Tom cut in, before Lucius could go summoning his wallet. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. He hated being made helpless and dependent on others. It was bad enough back in his own time - being an orphan had always people pitying him, but now? When he was among his followers? He had to independent, not show even a bit of weakness. They already saw enough of it._

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_Besides, he wasn't lying when he said he could afford a bus ride. Back when he made his way from Hogwarts to the Malfoy Manor, he had lucked upon a stray wallet. He's sure that the owner won't miss it, if they can afford to leave their wallet unattended, they can afford another wallet altogether._

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_"My mode of transport aside. Here is what you have to do, Lucius, once you're in Gringotts - "_

 

 

"Good evening, gentlemen." Narcissa laid a hand on her husband's shoulder and smiled to him in greeting.

"Ah, here is the enchanting wife!" one of the youngest officials, with whom Lucius was talking to, hollered. Narcissa never cared for him. She sent him a radiant smile.

"Mr. Peasegood, how lovely of you to come."

"Of course! I'd never miss little, uh, Drego's birthday" he smiled lopsidedly and took a swig from his glass.

"Draco."

The man chuckled, "Right, sorry."

"Well, I'm afraid I must relieve you of my husband's presence - trouble in the kitchen, you see." she lowered her voice as though telling a secret, "So very difficult to get proper help these days."

Two of the men nodded, Peasegood hummed in agreement.

"Duty calls. Gentlemen." Lucius said in goodbye.

"Go, go! Save the food!" one of the men laughed.

As Lucius made his way to, supposedly, the kitchen, he heard Narcissa take over the conversation :"So Mr. Poke, how is your son?..."

Getting to the corridor, unseen, Lucius ducked into an empty room. He shut the door behind him and casting a silencing charm, apperated. With a loud crack, Lucius Malfoy appeared in the middle of a street. Not sparing his surroundings a glance, he rushed to the towering building in the far end of the street. It was a multi-storied building made of white marble. He passed wizards and witches, each struggling under the weight of their purchases. Kids were running up and down the street, dragging their exhausted guardians behind them. None of them payed him any attention.

Walking into the bank, Lucius didn't dawdle in the entrance hall. Making a quick sweep of the lobby and noticing nothing suspicious, he headed for the reception desk.

 

 

_"Does it matter which desk I approach?" Lucius wondered._

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_After a moment of consideration Tom said : "Yes, pick one that is obstructed from view." he tilted his head then waved his wand. Tapping a vase that stood on the coffee table, he transfigured it into a model of the lobby. Lucius and Narcissa leaned forward to get a better look._

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_Tom pointed at one of the miniature desks. "This one, should be -"_

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_"No, they redecorated." Narcissa said. Taking out her own wand, she rearranged the model. "This is more like it."_

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_The reception desks fused into one long counter. Tom nodded blank-faced. He was starting to get real tired of being out of the loop. He examined the model critically. This was worse, every clerk and customer were out in the open. Tom felt like picking at his sleeves again._

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_"Perhaps the ones on the sides." Lucius suggested._

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_"Just make sure there aren't too many people surrounding you."_

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_"Then what? Should I enchant the clerk?" Lucius asked._

__

__

_"No, I'll take care of it. But before that you have to get the head goblin to service you - create a scene or something of the sort."_

__

__

_Narcissa bit the inside of her cheek and frowned. "Won't that bring unnecessary attention to Lucius?"_

__

__

_"I doubt the goblins will let anyone disturb the peace in their beloved bank."_

__

__

_The woman didn't seem too reassured by the statement but she remained silent._

__

__

 

 

"Good day." Lucius greeted the goblin behind the counter. The creature, who up until that moment was examining a small blue-tinted rock through thick lenses, raised his head to look at the blond. He was pale, had a head full of black hair and squinting brown eyes. He looked young. Good, hopefully that meant he was new and prone to running to his superiors. 

"How may I help, sir?" the goblin said politely. 

"I have received this letter -" Lucius took out a parcel out of his pocket and passed it to the clerk, "And I wish to make a few deposits." he concluded smoothly. 

The goblin wordlessly grabbed the letter. He took off his glasses and began reading. At first, his expression was blank as he saw no faults with the letter. But the more he read, the faster his expression turned into a frown. "This can't be right..." he mumbled to himself. 

Lucius leaned forward, "Is there a problem?" 

Of course there was a problem. The letter authorized several deposits from vaults not accessible to Lucius. It was an altered version of the letter he got, rejecting his request to access Bella's vault. It was designed to fool wizards but any goblin worth his salt would spot that it's fake. Lucius was quite proud of how it came out - he made it himself. 

The goblin waved him off, grumbling under his breath in his language. He reread the letter. 

Lucius took the time to study his surroundings. Two chairs to the left of Lucius, sat an anxious middle-aged man who demanded the exasperated goblin-clerk to explain himself for the third time. Nearby a young mother was trying to quiet her wailing child. And a short distance away a teenager was leaning on a pillar, reading important-looking documents. Other than them no one was in the immediate distance. None of them were paying Lucius any attention. 

"This isn't right, sir." the goblin finally said, "We can't accept this." 

Lucius frowned at the clerk, "I don't understand. What is wrong?" 

"Sir, I can't let you make these deposits." the goblin stressed, "I don't know who sent you this document but obviously it was a mistake -" 

"Mistake?!" Lucius allowed himself to get louder, "You have sent _me_ permission for a deposit and now, when I get here you retract it? Is this a joke?" 

"Sir, I understand -"

"Is _this_ how Gringotts treats customers?" Lucius asked incredulously. He slammed his hand on the counter and jabbed his finger in the signature at the bottom of the letter. "Isn't that the head goblin's handwriting?!" he raised his voice even more, "Didn't he accept my request? Shouldn't you be leading me to the vaults right now, to get what I deserve?!"

The goblin looked around both uneasy and slightly irritated. He tried to calm the blond down. "Sir, please -"

"I demand to see the head goblin!"

The anxious man two chairs away peered curiously at the blond. Some of the goblins nearby stopped what they were doing to look sternly at the clerk. Even the teenager abandoned the documents in favor of listening to the conversation.

"Alright, alright." the goblin raised his hands placating "I'll go get him, just calm down. Sir." he mumbled something to himself that might have been just cursing Lucius to high heavens. The goblin jumped down from his stool and shuffled off out of the room. 

Lucius sighed in relief. For now, everything was going according to plan.

The woman managed to get the child to calm down (or perhaps she left, Lucius didn't care). Finally understanding the goblin-clerk, the anxious man vacated his seat allowing a young couple to take his place. The teen turned back to his documents. 

The goblin-clerk returned accompanied by an older goblin. Though he seemed fragile and walked slowly, he held his own, moving confidently towards Lucius. Without help from the younger one, the old goblin climbed on the stool. The younger remained standing near the chair. 

Lucius froze. They hadn't taken into account the goblins' size. If it was Lucius, cursing the the two goblins it would be easy. The combination of his height and his proximity _made it_ easy. But Riddle? He was farther away, not to mention shorter - the goblin-clerk wasn't anywhere in his viewpoint. 

"I'm the head of Gringotts. What seems to be the problem, sir?" he addressed Lucius, snapping him out of his frantic thoughts. 

"Frankly, I have no idea." Lucius crossed his arms, scowling. "I have just came here to make a deposit as said in the letter," he wave a hand at the parcel laying on the counter, "and yet, I'm denied for absolutely no reason!" 

There was a sound of rustling papers - the teen crouched over the documents he dropped. The young couple got lead to their vaults by their clerk. Some of the goblins nearby narrowed their eyes at Lucius in distaste. 

The clerk dragged an empty stool next to the head goblin, he climbed on top it and hissed something to the older goblin. 

Lucius breathed freely. 

The head goblin reached out his hand and took the parchment. His eyebrows got higher the more he read. Suddenly he shuddered, his gaze becoming dazed. 

"Oh, yes, yes." he said, nodding, "Everything seems to be in order. Let's get you to your vaults, sir." 

The younger goblin opened his mouth to protest when he too shuddered, his posture easing up. 

Putting away his wand, Tom stood up folding the documents he had purposely dropped. He stuffed the papers into his pocket. 

"Take me to the carts." Lucius ordered the goblins, lowering his voice. 

The goblins obeyed silently, stepping from behind the counter to lead Lucius to the vaults. As they made their way to the door Tom joined them.

"Nice touch, with the papers." Lucius said nonchalantly as they passed through the doorway. 

"It was either that or tying my shoelaces. And I don't have any." Tom replied, "Head goblin - you're with me. Clerk, take Lucius to the Malfoys' vault!" he instructed. 

The younger goblin led Lucius to one cart as Tom was led to a different one by the head goblin. Before the carts went on their ways, Lucius turned to Tom. "Good luck." he said tight-lipped. 

Tom rolled his eyes in response. He never relied on luck, and he's definitely not going to start now. 

 

 

_"Hold on, if Lucius isn't going to help search for the Horcrux, why is he even there?"_

__

__

_Tom mentally debated whether they really needed to know. On one hand - he would be revealing another weakness, on the other - he needed Lucius to know in order to get the Horcrux._

__

__

_"I have already told you before that I'm a manifestation of a soul.The soul itself still resides in the Horcrux." he said pointedly as though it explained everything._

__

__

_"Meaning?"_

__

__

_"Meaning I'm still connected to it." Tom answered, "Not physically, of course, but wherever it goes - I go."_

__

__

_To walk around, outside the diary took a portion of magic - a small one now, thanks to the boost Ginny gave, but still a portion. The farther he went from the diary - the source of his magic, his soul - the harder it got for him to keep his form. As long as Tom stays in the vaults, he will need Lucius to stay in the area._

__

__

_Lucius' eyes widened in understanding, "How long will I have to stay?"_

__

__

_"You will stay in your vault until I tell you." Tom said, "My horcrux will let you know when. Once you get out, wait until the aurors arrive when they do I need you to stay close for about..." Tom wasn't sure how long it would take for him to find what he was looking for. He also had to have Lucius back in the gala before anyone noticed his absence. "Fifteen minutes." he decided._

__

__

_"Aurors!" Narcissa exclaimed in concern._

__

__

_"Will that be enough?" Lucius asked his brow furrowed._

__

__

_"Should be."_

__

__

_"Why will the aurors be aware of the robbery so quickly?!" Narcissa insisted on knowing._

__

__

_"I won't have a way of informing Lucius where I am, at that point he will be too out of reach. But by alerting the aurors, I'm letting you know I am in the Lestrange's vault." Tom reasoned. "Where I should be for fifteen or less minutes."_

__

__

_Lucius frowned, "If you are there for only the last minutes, where would you be until then?"_

__

__

_"I'll be making a few stops along the way."_

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The cart sped through the tunnels, moving deeper into the bank. Tom kept one hand on the edge of the cart, gripping it tight, keeping himself upright. Raising his wand in his right hand, he cast a lumos. The light illuminated the numbers on the vaults.

Gringotts appeared to have its own numeric system, completely disregarding the normal chronological order. They passed vault number 145, closely followed by 73. They neared number 522. 

522 seemed like a nice random number. 

Tom told the head goblin to stop. The cart screeched to a standstill. "Open the door." Tom ordered the goblin. 

The goblin hesitated, "Sir, I'm not sure I should..." he slurred uncertainly. 

"Of course, you will." Tom smiled at him patiently, "It was your decision in the first place." 

"It - uh, it was?" 

"Yes." Tom reassured him, "And now you will open every vault I want, just like you promised in your letter. Remember?" he showed the parcel Lucius had brought.

"Right. Of course, of course" the goblin nodded dumbly. "Right, I'll just- er, follow me!"

The goblin approached the vault. He gently knocked on the door then scraped his nails on the surface. With a series of clicks the door opened.

"Wait for me here." Tom told the goblin and walked in. 

The room was bigger then Tom would have thought. It was filled with artifacts and piles of coins. He couldn't help but feel awestruck at the sight - Tom hadn't seen so much money in one place before. Snapping out of his stupor, he closed his eyes in concentration. He had to let Lucius know the blond could leave. Yesterday, he had spoken confidently about his ability to inform Lucius through his journal. But in truth? He had never tried it from a distance. Tom felt around for his core, reaching out to it with his magic he mentally pushed the message forward. Having no way of knowing he succeeded, Tom just assumed it worked. 

He took out the wallet he had found in Hogwarts and started stuffing it with gold and coins. The extension charm on the wallet allowed it to contain far more than it should. When Tom felt he took enough, he turned to leave. A glint of light stopped him in his tracks. On the floor between the piles of galleons lied a silver dagger with an engraved handle. Tom considered the knife. Making a spontaneous decision, he quickly carved some words on the wall then stashed the dagger in the wallet. 

They made a few more stops of the sort on their way to the Lestranges' vault. Some vaults belong to wealthy people (or at least above average) and some were clearly owned by the poor (Tom _almost_ felt bad). Tom picked them at random to, hopefully, disguise the fact that the Lestrange vault was the intended target. Although, getting more money in addition to the Horcrux was always a good thing. 

Finally they reached their destination. The door to the vault seemed ancient compared to the other vaults. It wasn't difficult to tell it belonged to an old Wizarding family. Just as he did with the other vaults, the goblin opened the door and stepped aside. Tom paused in the entrance. "You were going to open all the vaults now." he informed the head goblin. 

The goblin nodded and mumbled: "Oh yes, of course" before snapping his fingers. Not a second later, all the doors in the vicinity, and probably in the whole bank, flew open. 

A loud alarm rang all across the tunnels, seemingly coming from everywhere. The noise cut threw the goblin's confusion, he blinked dumbfound before the sound registered in his mind. He opened his mouth to yell something or, perhaps cast a spell but Tom was ready. The teen quickly cast a spell causing the unprepared goblin to fall into a bewitched sleep. 

Leaving the sleeping goblin on the floor, Tom stepped into the vault, the alarms blaring behind him. 

 

 

_"The Lestranges' vault is huge," Narcissa said, "How will you find it? Do you know what the Horcrux is?"_

__

__

_"I don't need to know," Tom answered a tad defensive, "it carries a part of my soul in it - be sure that I can recognize my own soul."_

__

__

_And even if he can't, he could always rely on recognizing his own magic. He doubted the vault will contain a lot of artifacts belonging to him._

__

__

_Narcissa wasn't satisfied by the answer. "How can we be sure my sister was talking about Horcruxes? Maybe she meant something other of the dark lord's?"_

__

__

_Tom blinked at her, "Like what?"_

__

__

_Tom was never a sentimental person, he also didn't have many things he could call his own. His only belongings were clothes, his textbooks, and his collection - little trinkets and trophies he found and took from others. But he wasn't attached to those things, he could always start again (he had in fact, the small growing pile was currently hidden under his bed). No, only Horcruxes would be important enough to be kept in Gringotts._

__

__

_Narcissa opened her mouth to reply but couldn't come up with an answer._

__

__

 

 

Narcissa wasn't lying when she had said the vault was huge. The cellar was massive, full of riches and artifacts. Tom navigated through the piles. The amount of stuff in the room were a bit overwhelming. And unorganized. It was a mess - everything was either dumped in piles on the floor or stacked on shelves without any real order. Really, how could the Lestranges find anything around here? 

He had to focus. He just had to reach the soul in his horcrux - exactly as he did with his diary. Tom closed his eyes and concentrated. He could feel the connection to his journal, weaker now due to the distance. Putting a hand on one of the walls he moved a few steps forward trying to stay focused only on the room he was in. He kept walking like that for a bit when he suddenly felt a slight trace of his magic.

Opening his eyes, he let himself be led through the maze of objects. Trying to pass a particularly tricky stack of gold, Tom accidentally touched a pair of scales. Upon touch, two things happened simultaneously. One of them was Tom hissing in pain as his fingers were burned on contact. The second was the scales started duplicating themselves and they didn't stop. Some of the duplicates slide of the small heap of treasures, causing it to slowly collapse.

Tom cursed and backed away from the collapsing stack, trying not to touch any of the treasures. He should have known there would be more security measures - it was the vault of an old pureblood family after all. Tom left the growing number of scales and continued searching more urgently.

On top of a high shelf, Tom finally saw it. His Horcrux - a small golden cup engraved with a badger. He approached the shelf as much as he could, feeling quite giddy at finding it. Since he couldn't touch the cup, he decided to levitate it into the wallet. A blood-curling roar stopped him in his tracks.

Oh _crap_.

 

 

_"But by alerting the aurors you will seal off all the exits. How will you escape?" Lucius raised an eyebrow._

__

__

_"Technically, by that point I already had."_

__

__

_Lucius stared at Tom incredulously._

__

__

_"Oh! You mean your Horcrux - it's on the outside with Lucius." Narcissa's eyes widened in understanding._

__

__

_Tom shifted, "Yes. All I need to do is to let go of the magic keeping me separate from it and I'll be back in my Horcrux."_

__

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_The 'hypothetically' went unsaid but not unnoticed._

__

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_Lucius frowned, "Will that work on the Horcrux as well? I mean the one you will get from the vault. Will it get back to..." he crinkled his nose, "your Horcrux?"_

__

__

_Lucius was careful not to mention the diary but Tom understood what he meant. And to be honest, he had no idea. Will the new Horcrux get absorbed into the diary or will it be left laying on the vault floor? He was hoping the former. He hadn't tested it yet but he knew from experience it had some level of storing ability. For example, the ink he used to write on the pages - he didn't produce it himself. That ink used to be words Tom had written in the journal before he turned it into a Horcrux. Water was also something that got absorbed into the diary (Tom wasn't very happy to discover he had that ability when he suddenly got doused)._

__

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_"Yes."_

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_"Have you ever done it before?" Narcissa asked worriedly._

__

__

_"Creating a physical body takes a lot of magic so no, I haven't." Tom replied, "Which reminds me, after the robbery I'll need you to carry my Horcrux on your person."_

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_"Why?" Lucius raised his eyebrows._

__

__

_"Staying in close proximity to a magical core will make my recovery quicker." Tom tapped at the armrest absentmindedly. "It won't take long. A few weeks perhaps."_

__

__

_In truth, staying in close proximity to a magical core will make siphoning magic from it much easier. Tom wouldn't be telling Lucius that, of course. Why should he? Lucius, being an adult wizard, had larger and more developed magical core than an eleven year old girl. He, most likely, won't even notice that some of his magic gets taken in by the diary._

__

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_"Well, if that's all." Narcissa stood up her lips pursed, "I bid you two good luck."_

__

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_"We are going to need that." Lucius sighed standing up as well._

__

__

 

 

Holy Mother of God, the rumors were true!

The source of the roar - a giant ugly beast - shoved it's pale gray snout in to the vault. It's milky pink unseeing eyes stared ahead as the creature sniffed the air. The scales on it's face were filled with numerous scars, the result of it's domestication no doubt. Walking into the room, the beast stretched it's wings showing off the enormous spikes on each appendage.

Tom stood frozen not daring to breath, staring at the dragon (dragon! They really had dragons guarding vaults! He thought Druella was having him on). It was obviously blind - attacking the eyes would not do a lot of damage other than enraging it, and it's belly covered in iron looking scales. So much for having weaknesses. 

The dragon moved slowly farther into the cellar, the chains on it's rear legs clanking against the floor. Growling softly under it's breath, the creature paused in front of the multiplying golden scales. While it sniffed the artifacts, Tom allowed himself to take a step to the side. He immediately regretted that choice. His foot barely touched a bronze statue. Swearing mentally he jumped away from the bust, but the damage was done. The statue started duplicating itself, alerting the dragon to Tom's side of the room.

The dragon snapped his head in Tom's direction. It roared and arched it's back as if preparing to pounce. Instead of leaping at Tom, the dragon made a gurgled noise from the back of his throat. Realizing what that noise meant, Tom dove behind a particularly high stack of treasures. He prayed to anyone who'd listen that the pile would hold. Not a moment later, heat surrounded Tom as the dragon sent a jet of fire at the pile. The pile remained unscathed and fortunately, so did Tom (he thanked whoever made the treasures dragon-proof). He didn't even get a minute to think and the dragon was attacking again - flames licking at the treasures.

Taking a shaky breath, Tom looked at the golden cup. He had to, somehow, distract the dragon, but how?

The dragon had been suspiciously silent. Tom had risked a glance at the beast. It was a good thing that he did because the dragon, that grew weary of fighting with fire, decided on a different approach. Tom leaped behind a different heap as the dragon's tail slammed in to the previous pile Tom took cover behind. 

Tom hit the heap of treasures with a pained yelp. The artifacts were burning any exposed skin that came in contact with them. Struggling to sit he aimed at the treasures and shouted :"Depulso!"

The spell hit the artifacts causing them to fly to the other side of the room. They crashed into a stack of coins with a thud and sent galleons, knuts and sickles scattering in all directions. The noise caught the dragon's attention. He instantly turned in the direction of the noise and with speed, that didn't seem proportional to his size, pounced on the replicating artifacts. Not wasting a single second, Tom levitated the cup into his wallet, careful not to touch it. When the Horcrux was secured in his pant pocket, he pushed himself on his feet and took off running.

Back to the diary. Back to the diary. Back to the diary!

That was the only thing on his mind as he jumped over gold, silver and bronze objects. But concentrating on the journal was impossible what with the vicious murderous dragon about to hunt Tom down. The burning treasures didn't help either. Speaking of the dragon - it had concluded that the intruder wasn't the one who made the noise and let out an annoyed sounding growl. It spread it's wings and batted the air around it preparing for flight.

Tom, who mistakingly peered back at the dragon, felt panic sink in. He tried to focus harder on the diary, on his core, on bringing the wallet with him. Missing what was right in front of him, he tripped over a rusty suit of armor that was propped up against the wall. He screamed in pain as the replicated suit of armor crushed his leg between the original. Panting, he fidgeted trying to release himself but the suits won't budge, and more and more suits got created threatening to drown him.

Who the hell owns suits of armor anyways? And why would they keep in a vault? Tom cursed the Lestrange family.

With a thud that made the room tremble, the dragon landed near Tom. Twisting himself so he could aim at the dragon, Tom desperately casted stunning spells. The spells hit the scales and ricocheted off them, not affecting the dragon in the slightest. Tom watched helplessly as the beast unhinged it's massive jaws over him. He shut his eyes tightly making a last effort to reach the diary.

He could feel the dragon's breath on his face, hear it growling softly and then -

Nothing.

He couldn't hear the dragon. He couldn't feel it's breath. His legs weren't burning anymore. He opened his eyes to see nothing. He was surrounded by darkness. Tom tried to move but couldn't. For the first time in years, Tom felt relieved by that discovery. 

He did it! He was really back - he made it!

Back to the eternal darkness and immobility - back in the diary. And now? He waits to return and escape from this prison.

He could feel a small patter against his leg that almost felt like a heartbeat. Tom closed his eyes.  
At least he's not alone this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, I tried to write action (Emphasis on tried). On the other hand I learned I won't ever be a master criminal, so I guess it was worth it.  
> also it doesn't really matter but the wallet Tom stole was actually Neville's  
> thanks for reading!


End file.
